uched without your signature."

She laughed a little indignantly.

"Then you had better withdraw it from trust, or whatever you call it, at
once. If it was there until I was eighty I should never touch it."

"I understand that perfectly," Lord Arranmore said. "You have refused
it. Very well! What are we going to do with it?"

"Put it back where it came from, of course," she answered.

"Well," he said, "by signing several papers that might be managed. In
that case I should distribute it amongst the various public-houses in
the East End to provide drinks for the thirstiest of their customers."

"If you think that," she said, scornfully, "a reputable use to make of
your money."

He held out his hand.

"My dear Miss Scott. Our money!"

"The money," she exclaimed. "I repeat, the money. Well, there is
nothing more to be said about it."

"Will you sign the papers which authorize me to distribute the money in
this way?"

She thought for a moment.

"No; I will not."

"Exactly. You would be very foolish and very untrue to your principles
if you did. So you see, this sum is not to be foisted altogether upon
me, for there is no doubt that I should misuse it. Now I believe that
if you were to give the matter a little consideration you could hit upon
a more reasonable manner of laying out this sum. Don't interrupt me,
please. My own views as to charity you know. You however look at the
matter from an altogether different point of view. Let us leave it
where it is for the moment. Something may occur to you within the next
few months. Don't let it be a hospital, if you can help it--something
altogether original would be best. Set your brain to work. I shall be
at your service at any moment."

He rose to his feet and began slowly to collect his belongings. Then
their eyes met, and she burst out laughing--he too smiled.

"You are very ingenious, Lord Arranmore," she said.

"It is my conscience," he assured her. "It is out of gear to the tune
of three thousand."

"I don't believe in the conscience," she answered. 'This is sheer
obstinacy. You have made up your mind that I should be interested in
that money somehow, and you can't bear to suffer defeat."

"I am an old man," he said, "and you are a young woman. Let us leave it
where it is for a while. I have an idea of the sort of life which you
are planning for yourself. Believe me, that before you have lived here
for many months you will be willing to give years of