The Studied Financier (13)

 13

“It’s all a mess, and they still haven’t found Nuaban. I must send Mrs. Nuavy a message of condolance. I used I remember the dreadful trouble there was about her marrying him. She had very little money, you see. His family wanted him to marry Juliagana Pakefre because she was already on her way to becoming a top doctor and was connected with the family. But Mr. Nuaban fell in love with the current Mrs. Nuavy and eloped with her to Themisto. 

“Mrs. Nuavy was very beautiful, then, you know, but she hadn’t any means and was not in the right family for a financier. Of course, now people tend to look the other way when young people arrange their own marriages—so foolish, you know—as if a person in love knows anything about what’s good for him. Still, there it was. I guess it was much better for the girl to marry him if she was really fond of him. Although, I believe young Pakefre was really devoted to her,

“Apparently, Dr. Pakefre took it very well and they’re still great friends. Not that there was ever a real engagement or formal contract, only a sort of understanding between their fathers. But, she’s never married, you know, and lives all by herself. She’s very rich and distinguished now, and I know ever so many people have tried to get hold of her—there was Mr. Waringpepper who wanted her for that eldest son of his. I remember saying at the time it was no use expecting a surgeon to be taken in by a figure that was all shapewear and plastic surgery.”

“Mrs. Nuavy must have had the knack of making people devoted to her,” I said.

“That’s quite true, dear; she was a most delightful girl. Although I find my own daughter ten times more delightful.” I rolled my eyes at him. “I rather lost sight of them a while ago, but I know everybody always said they were a model couple. In fact, it was almost a proverb that Nuaban was as well-loved at home as he was hated abroad.”

“Yes,” I said, “I daresay the man made one or two enemies.”

“Dozens—financing is such a dreadful line of work, isn’t it?”

I laughed.