start,
sat looking at the fire and shaking his head. "The money must be made
to be forthcoming," said Alice. "Papa, will you see that it is done?"
This was very hard upon poor John Vavasor, and so he felt it to
be. "Papa, if you will not promise, I must go to Mr Round about it
myself, and must find out a broker to sell out for me. You would not
wish that my name should be dishonoured."

"You will be ruined," said he, "and for such a rascal as that!"

"Never mind whether he is a rascal or not, papa. You must acknowledge
that he has been treated harshly by his grandfather."

"I think that will was the wisest thing my father ever did. Had he
left the estate to George, there wouldn't have been an acre of it
left in the family in six months' time."

"But the life interest, papa!"

"He would have raised all he could upon that, and it would have done
him no good."

"At any rate, papa, he must have this two thousand pounds. You must
promise me that."

"And then he will want more."

"No; I do not think he will ask for more. At any rate, I do not think
that I am bound to give him all that I have."

"I should think not. I should like to know how you can be bound to
give him anything?"

"Because I promised it. I have signed the bills now, and it must be
done." Still Mr Vavasor made no promise. "Papa, if you will not say
that you will do it, I must go down to Mr Round at once."

"I don't know that I can do it. I don't know that Mr Round can do
it. Your money is chiefly on mortgage." Then there was a pause for
a moment in the conversation. "Upon my word, I never heard of such
a thing in my life," said Mr Vavasor; "I never did. Four thousand
pounds given away to such a man as that, in three months! Four
thousand pounds! And you say you do not intend to marry him."

"Certainly not; all that is over."

"And does he know that it is over?"

"I suppose he does."

"You suppose so! Things of that sort are so often over with you!"
This was very cruel. Perhaps she had deserved the reproach, but still
it was very cruel. The blow struck her with such force that she
staggered under it. Tears came into her eyes, and she could hardly
speak lest she should betray herself by sobbing.

"I know that I have behaved badly," she said at last; "but I am
punished, and you might spare me now!"

"I didn't want to punish you," he said, getting up from his chair and
walking about the room. "I don't want to punish you. But, I don't
want t