er had a wife, Miss O'Mahony;--not yet!
Why do you say things so cruel to me?"

He, at any rate, she was sure, had sent her that message. She thought
that she was sure of his villainous misconduct to her in that
respect. She believed that she did know him to be a devil, whether he
was a married man or not.

"What message did you send to me by Madame Socani?"

"What message? None!" and again he laid his hand upon his waistcoat.

"He asked me to be--" But she could not tell her father of what
nature was the message. "Father, he is a reptile. If you knew all,
you would be unable to keep your hands from his throat. And now he
dares to come here and talk to me of his affection. You had better
bid him leave the room and have done with him."

"You hear what my daughter says, Mr. Moss."

"Yes, I hear her," answered the poor innocent-looking tenor. "But
what does she mean? Why is she so fierce?"

"He knows, father," said Rachel. "Have nothing further to say to
him."

"I don't think that I do quite know," said Mr. O'Mahony. "But you can
see, at any rate, Mr. Moss, that she does not return your feeling."

"I would make her my wife to-morrow," said Mr. Moss, slapping his
waistcoat once more. "And do you, as the young lady's papa, think
of what we two might do together. I know myself, I know my power.
Madame Socani is a jealous woman. She would wish to be taken into
partnership with me,--not a partnership of hearts, but of theatres.
She has come with some insolent message, but not from me;--ah, not
from me!"

"You never tried to kiss me? You did not make two attempts?"

"I would make two thousand if I were to consult my own heart."

"When you knew that I was engaged to Mr. Jones!"

"What was Mr. Jones to me? Now I ask your respectable parent, is
Miss Rachel unreasonable? When a gentleman has lost his heart in
true love, is he to be reproached because he endeavours to seize one
little kiss? Did not Mr. Jones do the same?"

"Bother Mr. Jones!" said Rachel, overcome by the absurdity of the
occasion. "As you observed just now, Mr. Jones and I are two. Things
have not turned out happily, though I am not obliged to explain all
that to you. But Mr. Jones is to me all that a man should be; you,
Mr. Moss, are not. Now, father, had he not better go?"

"I don't think any good is to be done, I really don't," said Mr.
O'Mahony.

"Why am I to be treated in this way?"

"Because you come here persevering when you know it's no