. . . whether in minutes, hours, or days, makes it no less vile and reprehensible. I was thinking over the comments further down the board about how Fanny may have had her in-laws take an "instant dislike" to her, but even if that were so, I can only congratulate them on their instincts. No sympathy for Fanny. None. I don't care if she had been exiled to the veldtland in her childhood and been raised by hyenas; in that case, my only possible response would be sympathy for the hyenas. As for John, he's a mealyworm and further proof of just how horrid Fanny is, since her influence makes him (an already unpromising specimen) even worse.

To return to your question, though, I always had the impression of this being a fairly lengthy conversation. Not ten minutes, but perhaps installments over the course of several hours. Perhaps I'm being influenced by the way it was handled in S&S2, where we see them talking while Fanny is standing before her mirror and then again while they are out in their carriage, etc. I don't think Fanny would've had a hard time talking John out of a gift to his sisters anyway; if he'd been firmly set in his intentions, he could simply have announced them and then ignored her nagging.

What makes it worse for me is that it's pure meanness and greed. Fanny can spout all that drivel about depriving their own dear son, but John's gift to his sisters would not have taken anything significant away from their own income. If there had been any genuine threat to Fanny's status and security . . . but there isn't. Regan and Goneril are fit company for her, indeed.