It was a moment or two later when she turned to her companion.
"This house belongs to the man they seem to be waiting for ?" she asked.
Ainslie nodded.
"Yes," he said, "I suppose it does." "Then why doesn't he live in it ?" "It takes a good deal to keep up a place of this kind, and, until Major Kinnaird came, it's some time since anybody seriously attempted it." "Ah!" said Ida.

"Mr.Weston's means are insufficient ?" "It's a tolerably open secret.

There are a good many people similarly situated.

A small and badly-kept estate is not a lucrative possession." "Then why don't they keep it up efficiently ?" "Now," said Ainslie, "you're getting at the root of the matter.

In my opinion it's largely a question of character.