Another could not be
always graceful, or, though she could talk well enough during a waltz,
she had nothing to say for herself at three o'clock in the morning. And
he was driven to calculate that he would be wrong to marry a girl
without a shilling. "It is a kind of thing that a man cannot afford to
do unless he's sure of his position," he had said on such an occasion to
Montgomery Arbuthnot, alluding especially to his brother's state of
health. When Mr. Anderson spoke of not being sure of his position he was
always considered to allude to his brother's health. In this way he had
nearly got his little boat on to the rocks more than once, and had given
some trouble to Sir Magnus. But now he was quite sure. "It's all there
all round," he had said to Arbuthnot more than once. Arbuthnot said that
it was there--"all round, all round." Waxlight and daylight made no
difference to her. She was always graceful. "Nobody with an eye in his
head can doubt that," said Anderson. "I should think not, by Jove!"
replied Arbuthnot. "And for talking,--you never catch her out; never." "I
never did, certainly," said Arbuthnot, who, as third secretary, was
obedient and kind-hearted. "And then look at her money. Of course a
fellow wants something to help him on. My position is so uncertain that
I cannot do without it." "Of course not." "Now, with some girls it's so
deuced hard to find out. You hear that a girl has got money, but when
the time comes it depends on the life of a father who doesn't think of
dying;--damme, doesn't think of it."

"Those fellows never do," said Arbuthnot. "But here, you see, I know all
about it. When she's twenty-four,--only twenty-four,--she'll have ten
thousand pounds of her own. I hate a mercenary fellow." "Oh yes; that's
beastly." "Nobody can say that of me. Circumstanced as I am, I want
something to help to keep the pot boiling. She has got it,--quite as much
as I want,--quite, and I know all about it without the slightest doubt in
the world." For the small loan of fifteen hundred pounds Sir Magnus paid
the full value of the interest and deficient security. "Sir Magnus tells
me that if I'll only stick to her I shall be sure to win. There's some
fellow in England has just touched her heart,--just touched it, you
know." "I understand," said Arbuthnot, looking very wise. "He is not a
fellow of very much account," said Anderson; "one of those handsome
fellows without conduct and without courage." "I've known lots of