never do anything like any other woman."

"I'm not quite sure that you understand her," said Grey; "though of
course you ought to do so better than any one else."

"Nobody can understand her," said the angry father. "She told me the
other day, as you know, that she was going to have nothing more to do
with her cousin--"

"Has she--has she become friends with him again?" said Grey. As he
asked the question there came a red spot on each cheek, showing the
strong mental anxiety which had prompted it.

"No; I believe not;--that is, certainly not in the way you mean. I
think that she is beginning to know that he is a rascal."

"It is a great blessing that she has learned the truth before it was
too late."

"But would you believe it;--she has given him her name to bills for
two thousand pounds, payable at two weeks' sight? He sent to her only
this morning a fellow that he called his clerk, and she has been fool
enough to accept them. Two thousand pounds! That comes of leaving
money at a young woman's own disposal."

"But we expected that, you know," said Grey, who seemed to take the
news with much composure.

"Expected it?"

"Of course we did. You yourself did not suppose that what he had
before would have been the last."

"But after she had quarrelled with him!"

"That would make no difference with her. She had promised him her
money, and as it seems that he will be content with that, let her
keep her promise."

"And give him everything! Not if I can help it. I'll expose him. I
will indeed. Such a pitiful rascal as he is!"

"You will do nothing, Mr Vavasor, that will injure your daughter. I'm
very sure of that."

"But, by heavens--. Such sheer robbery as that! Two thousand pounds
more in fourteen days!" The shortness of the date at which the bills
were drawn seemed to afflict Mr Vavasor almost as keenly as the
amount. Then he described the whole transaction as accurately as he
could do so, and also told how Alice had declared her purpose of
going to Mr Round the lawyer, if her father would not undertake to
procure the money for her by the time the bills should become due.
"Mr Round, you know, has heard nothing about it," he continued. "He
doesn't dream of any such thing. If she would take my advice, she
would leave the bills, and let them be dishonoured. As it is, I think
I shall call at Drummonds', and explain the whole transaction."

"You must not do that," said Grey. "I will call at Drummonds',
instea