et us never speak of this again, Dan," said my father, looking up with
eyes that were far from clear.

MacNaghten squeezed his band, and said nothing.

"What have you been doing with Tony Fagan, Dan?" said my father,
suddenly. "Have you drawn too freely on the Grinder, and exhausted the
liberal resources of his free-giving nature?"

"Nothing of the kind; he has closed his books against me this many a
day. But why do you ask this?"

"Look here." And he opened a drawer and showed a whole mass of papers,
as he spoke. "Fagan, whom I regarded as an undrainable well of
the precious metals, threatens to run dry; he sends me back bills
unaccepted, and actually menaces me with a reckoning."

"What a rascal, not to be satisfied with forty or fifty per cent!"

"He might have charged sixty, Dan, if he would only 'order the bill to
lie on the table.' But see, he talks of a settlement, and even hints at
a lawyer."

"You ought to have married Polly."

"Pray, is there any one else that I should have married, Dan?" cried my
father, half angrily; "for it seems to me that you have quite a passion
for finding out alliances for me."

"Polly, they say, will have three hundred thousand pounds," said Dan,
slowly, "and is a fine girl to boot. I assure you, Watty, I saw her the
other day, seated in the library here; and with all the splendor of
your stained-glass windows, your gold-fretted ceiling, and your gorgeous
tapestries, she looked just in her place. Hang me, if there was a
particle of the picture in better style or taste than herself."

"How came she here?" cried my father, in amazement. And MacNaghten now
related all the circumstances of Fagan's visit, the breakfast, and the
drive.

"And you actually sat with three hundred thousand pounds at your side,"
said my father, "and did not decamp with it?"

"I never said she had the money in her pocket, Watty. Egad! that would
have been a very tempting situation."

"How time must have changed you, Dan, when you could discuss the
question thus calmly! I remember the day when you 'd have won the race,
without even wasting a thought on the solvency of the stakeholder."

"Faith, I believe it were the wisest way, after all, Watty," said he,
carelessly; "but the fact is, in the times you speak of, my conscience,
like a generous banker, never refused my drafts; now, however, she has
taken a circumspect turn, and I 'm never quite certain that I have not
overdrawn my account with her. I