aptain's signature?" and he slapped
the bill with his hand.

The old ceremony was gone through of explaining that the captain had no
right to a shilling of the property. It had become an old ceremony now.
"Mr. Augustus Scarborough is going to pay out of his own good will only
those sums of the advance of which he has indisputable testimony."

"Ain't he my testimony of this?" said Mr. Juniper.

"This bill is for six hundred pounds."

"In course it is."

"Why don't you say you advanced him five hundred and fifty pounds
instead of three hundred and fifty pounds?"

"Because I didn't."

"Why do you say three hundred and fifty pounds instead of one hundred
and fifty pounds?"

"Because I did."

"Then we have only your bare word. We are not going to pay any one a
shilling on such a testimony." Then Mr. Juniper had sworn an awful oath
that he would have every man bearing the name of Scarborough hanged. But
Mr. Barry's firm did not care much for any law proceedings which might
be taken by Mr. Juniper alone. No law proceedings would be taken. The
sum to be regained would not be worth the while of any lawyer to insure
the hopeless expense of fighting such a battle. It would be shown in
court, on Mr. Barry's side, that the existing owner of the estate, out
of his own generosity, had repaid all sums of money as to which evidence
existed that they had been advanced to the unfortunate illegitimate
captain. They would appear with clean hands; but poor Mr. Juniper would
receive the sympathy of none. Of this Mr. Juniper had by degrees become
aware, and was already looking on his claim on the Scarborough property
as lost. And now, on this other little affair of his, on this
matrimonial venture, it was very hard that inquiries as to his character
should be referred to the same Mr. Barry.

"I'm d---- if I stand it!" he said, thumping his fist down on Mr.
Carroll's bed, on which he was sitting.

"It isn't any of my doing. I'm on the square with you."

"I don't know so much about that."

"What have I done? Didn't I send her to the girl's uncle, and didn't she
get from him a very liberal promise?"

"Promises! Why didn't he stump up the rhino? What's the good of
promises? There's as much to do about a beggarly five hundred pounds as
though it were fifty thousand pounds. Inquiries!" Of course he knew very
well what that meant. "It's a most ungentlemanlike thing for one
gentleman to take upon himself to make inquiries about anoth