ef moved him to explain, and drawing himself in, he sat
down on his own window-seat, stretching a leg across, and resting one
foot upon that where she was placed, so as to form a sort of barrier,
shutting themselves into a sense of privacy.

'I can't do it,' he repeated, 'not if my bread depended on it.'

'What is the matter?'

'I have looked into the books, I have gone over it with Rawlins.'

'You don't mean that we are going to be ruined?'

'Better that we were than to go on as we do! Phoebe, it is wickedness.'
There was a long pause. Robert rested his brow on his hand, Phoebe gazed
intently at him, trying to unravel the idea so suddenly presented. She
had reasoned it out before he looked up, and she roused him by softly
saying, 'You mean that you do not like the manufacture of spirits because
they produce so much evil.'

Though he did not raise his head, she understood his affirmation, and
went on with her quiet logic, for, poor girl, hers was not the happy
maiden's defence--'What my father does cannot be wrong.' Without
condemning her father, she instinctively knew that weapon was not in her
armoury, and could only betake herself to the merits of the case. 'You
know how much rather I would see you a clergyman, dear Robin,' she said;
'but I do not understand why you change your mind. We always knew that
spirits were improperly used, but that is no reason why none should be
made, and they are often necessary.'

'Yes,' he answered; 'but, Phoebe, I have learnt to-day that our trade is
not supported by the lawful use of spirits. It is the ministry of hell.'

Phoebe raised her startled eyes in astonished inquiry.

'I would have credited nothing short of the books, but there I find that
not above a fifth part of our manufacture goes to respectable houses,
where it is applied properly. The profitable traffic, which it is the
object to extend, is the supply of the gin palaces of the city. The
leases of most of those you see about here belong to the firm, it
supplies them, and gains enormously on their receipts. It is to extend
the dealings in this way that my legacy is demanded.'

The enormity only gradually beginning to dawn upon Phoebe, all she said
was a meditative--'You would not like that.'

'You did not realize it,' he said, nettled at her quiet tone. 'Do not
you understand? You and I, and all of us, have eaten and drunk, been
taught more than we could learn, lived in a fine house, and been made