tormy mood in which he had
retreated from her presence, he felt sure; but the asking for it on
his part would be unpleasant. That duty he must entrust to Kate. But
as he reached Mr Scruby's door, he had decided that for such purposes
as those now in hand, it was preferable that he should use his wife's
fortune. It was thus that in his own mind he worded the phrase, and
made for himself an excuse. Yes;--he would use his wife's fortune,
and explain to Mr Scruby that he would be justified in doing so
by the fact that his own heritage would be settled on her at her
marriage. I do not suppose that he altogether liked it. He was not,
at any rate as yet, an altogether heartless swindler. He could not
take his cousin's money without meaning,--without thinking that he
meant, to repay her in full all that he took. Her behaviour to him
this very morning had no doubt made the affair more difficult to
his mind, and more unpleasant than it would have been had she smiled
on him; but even as it was, he managed to assure himself that he
was doing her no wrong, and with this self-assurance he entered Mr
Scruby's office.

The clerks in the outer office were very civil to him, and undertook
to promise him that he should not be kept waiting an instant. There
were four gentlemen in the little parlour, they said, waiting to see
Mr Scruby, but there they should remain till Mr Vavasor's interview
was over. One gentleman, as it seemed, was even turned out to make
way for him; for as George was ushered into the lawyer's room, a
little man, looking very meek, was hurried away from it.

"You can wait, Smithers," said Mr Scruby, speaking from within. "I
shan't be very long." Vavasor apologized to his agent for the injury
he was doing Smithers; but Mr Scruby explained that he was only a
poor devil of a printer, looking for payment of his little account.
He had printed and posted 30,000 placards for one of the late
Marylebone candidates, and found some difficulty in getting his
money. "You see, when they're in a small way of business, it ruins
them," said Scruby. "Now that poor devil,--he hasn't had a shilling
of his money yet, and the greater part has been paid out of his
pocket to the posters. It is hard."

It comforted Vavasor when he thus heard that there were others who
were more backward in their payments, even than himself, and made him
reflect that a longer credit than had yet been achieved by him, might
perhaps be within his reach. "It is