At that time, and for a good many weeks after that time, Richard was constant in his visits. Besides coming every Saturday or Sunday and remaining with us until Monday morning, he sometimes rode out on horseback unexpectedly and passed the evening with us and rode back again early next day. He was as vivacious as ever and told us he was very industrious, but I was not easy in my mind about him. It appeared to me that his industry was all misdirected. I could not find that it led to anything but the formation of delusive hopes in connexion with the suit already the pernicious cause of so much sorrow and ruin. He had got at the core of that mystery now, he told us, and nothing could be plainer than that the will under which he and Ada were to take I don't know how many thousands of pounds must be finally established if there were any sense or justice in the Court of Chancery--but oh, what a great IF that sounded in my ears--and that this happy conclusion could not be much longer delayed. He proved this to himself by all the weary arguments on that side he had read, and every one of them sunk him deeper in the infatuation. He had even begun to haunt the court. He told us how he saw Miss Flite there daily, how they talked together, and how he did her little kindnesses, and how, while he laughed at her, he pitied her from his heart. But he never thought--never, my poor, dear, sanguine Richard, capable of so much happiness then, and with such better things before him--what a fatal link was riveting between his fresh youth and her faded age, between his free hopes and her caged birds, and her hungry garret, and her wandering mind.

At that time, and for a good many weeks afterwards, Richard was constant in his visits. Besides coming every Saturday or Sunday and staying until Monday morning, he sometimes rode out on horseback unexpectedly and passed the evening with us and rode back again early next day.
He was as vivacious as ever and told us he was very industrious, but I was not easy in my mind about him. I felt that his industry was all misdirected, and could not lead to anything but delusive hopes about the lawsuit, already the pernicious cause of so much sorrow and ruin. He had got at the core of that mystery now, he told us, and it was plain that the will under which he and Ada were to take thousands of pounds must be finally established if there were any sense or justice in the Court of Chancery - oh, what a great IF that sounded in my ears - and that could not be much longer delayed.
He had begun to haunt the court. He told us how he saw Miss Flite there daily, and how he did her little kindnesses, and how, while he laughed at her, he pitied her. But he never thought - my poor, dear, sanguine Richard, capable of so much happiness then - what a fatal link was joining his fresh youth to her faded age, and her hungry garret, and her wandering mind.
