And Betty Jo must have felt the sincerity of his purpose, for she said,
softly: "I am sure that it would make Auntie Sue very happy to know that
you would do that; and"--she added--"I know that you could not possibly
make her more unhappy and miserable than by doing it, could you?"
Again she had given an unexpected turn to the subject with the usual
convincing question-mark.
"But what can I do?" he demanded, letting himself go a little.
Betty Jo steadied him with: "Well, suppose you listen while I consider?
Did I tell you that 'considering' was another of my strong points, Mr.
Burns? Well, it is. You may consider me while I consider, if you please.
"The first thing is, that you must make Auntie Sue happy,--as happy as
you possibly can do at any cost. The second thing is, that you must pay
her back that money, every penny of it. Now, it wouldn't make her happy
for you to go to prison, and the reward wouldn't pay back all the money;
and if you were in prison, you never could pay the rest; besides, if you
were wasting your time in prison, she would just die of miserableness,
and she wouldn't touch a penny of that reward-money--not if she was to
die for want of it. So that settles that, doesn't it?"
And Brian was forced to admit that, as Betty Jo put it, it did.
"Very well, let us consider some more: Dear Auntie Sue has been
wonderfully, gloriously happy in doing what she has for you this past
winter,--meaning your book and all.
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