me in the street down at
Silverbridge I told him so. I may not have been very wise, but I did
it on her behalf. Surely you can understand that such a letter might
make a man angry."

"What did he say?"

"That he would do anything for her sake,--even retire from
Silverbridge if his friends would let him." Mr. Wharton scratched his
head, and Lopez saw that he was perplexed. "Should he have offered to
do anything for her sake, after what had passed?"

"I know the man so well," said Mr. Wharton, "that I cannot and do not
believe him to have harboured an improper thought in reference to my
child."

"Perhaps it was an indiscretion only."

"Perhaps so. I cannot say. And then they took you before the
magistrates?"

"Yes;--in my anger I had threatened him. Then there was a policeman
and a row. And I had to swear that I would not hurt him. Of course I
have no wish to hurt him."

"I suppose it ruined your chance at Silverbridge?"

"I suppose it did." This was a lie, as Lopez had retired before the
row took place. "What I care for most now is that you should not
think that I have misbehaved myself."

The story had been told very well, and Mr. Wharton was almost
disposed to sympathise with his son-in-law. That Arthur Fletcher had
meant nothing that could be regarded as offensive to his daughter he
was quite sure;--but it might be that in making an offer intended to
be generous he had used language which the condition of the persons
concerned made indiscreet. "I suppose," he said, "that you spent
a lot of money at Silverbridge?" This gave Lopez the opening that
he wanted, and he described the manner in which the L500 had been
extracted from him. "You can't play that game for nothing," said Mr.
Wharton.

"And just at present I could very ill afford it. I should not have
done it had I not felt it a pity to neglect such a chance of rising
in the world. After all, a seat in the British House of Commons is an
honour."

"Yes;--yes;--yes."

"And the Duchess, when she spoke to me about it, was so certain."

"I will pay the L500," said Mr. Wharton.

"Oh, sir, that is generous!" Then he got up and took the old man's
hands. "Some day, when you are at liberty, I hope that you will allow
me to explain to you the exact state of my affairs. When I wrote
to you from Como I told you that I would wish to do so. You do not
object?"

"No;" said the lawyer,--but with infinite hesitation in his voice.
"No; I don't object. But I do