is
clients to fight their battles well, it might almost be thought that
he was doing it really for the love of the thing; and some clients,
so thinking, had believed for a few hours that Scruby, in his jolly,
passionate eagerness, would pour out his own money like dust,
trusting implicitly to future days for its return. But such clients
had soon encountered Mr Scruby's other manner, and had perceived that
they were mistaken.

The thing had come so suddenly upon George Vavasor that there was not
time for him to carry on his further operations through his sister.
Had he written to Kate,--let him have written in what language he
would,--she would have first rejoined by a negative, and there would
have been a correspondence before he had induced her to comply.
He thought of sending for her by telegram, but even in that there
would have been too much delay. He resolved, therefore, to make his
application to Alice himself, and he wrote to her, explaining his
condition. The election had come upon him quite suddenly, as she
knew, he said. He wanted two thousand pounds instantly, and felt
little scruple in asking her for it, as he was aware that the old
Squire would be only too glad to saddle the property with a legacy
to Alice for the repayment of this money, though he would not have
advanced a shilling himself for the purpose of the election. Then
he said a word or two as to his prolonged absence from Queen Anne
Street. He had not been there because he had felt, from her manner
when they last met, that she would for a while prefer to be left free
from the unavoidable excitement of such interviews. But should he be
triumphant in his present contest, he should go to her to share his
triumph with her; or, should he fail, he should go to her to console
him in his failure.

Within three days he heard from her, saying that the money would
be at once placed to his credit. She sent him also her candid good
wishes for success in his enterprise, but beyond this her letter
said nothing. There was no word of love,--no word of welcome,--no
expression of a desire to see him. Vavasor, as he perceived all this
in the reading of her note, felt a triumph in the possession of her
money. She was ill-using him by her coldness, and there was comfort
in revenge. "It serves her right," he said to himself. "She should
have married me at once when she said she would do so, and then it
would have been my own."

When Mr Tombe had communicated with J