f a third person."

"My dear young friend, I see that we shall not come to an understanding
with each other. You are bent upon plunging into ruin a poor
defenceless girl in the name of what you call love, and will not
renounce, though you have not the slightest hope of winning her--that I
do not understand. I, on the other hand, am the legal adviser of the
young lady's family, and, in that capacity, I considered it my duty to
protest very energetically against the match in question. But when they
placed those precious papers in my hands, I said at once that they must
marry her to this man in any case. Otherwise they would have fancied I
was advocating your crazy hopes, that I was an interested party and
simply opposed the family candidate in order to smuggle in a kinsman of
my own in his stead. That idea I was determined to knock out of their
heads, happen what would. But that of course you do not understand. And
now you had better return to your room. Destiny will one day explain to
all of us what we do not understand now."

* * * * *

At about the same hour the second act of this drama was proceeding in
the torture-chamber of the Lapussa family.

Henrietta had returned home from her little tour laden with flowers,
when old Demetrius sent word to her that he would like to see her in his
room. He had taken the precaution of sending Madame Langai away shortly
before and Mr. John was absent at the Corn Exchange.

"My little maid, Hetty, come nearer to me," said the old gentleman,
turning sideways on his couch and ferreting out from beneath his
pillows a concave snuff-box, "pray do not be angry with me for putting
you to inconvenience. Bear with me for the little time I have still to
live. But if you find living under the same roof with me unendurable,
all the greater reason for you to seize the opportunity of releasing
yourself as quickly as possible."

Henrietta was too much used to these choleric outbursts to think of
replying to them.

"Pray, put your hand beneath my pillow. You will find a packet of papers
there. Take them out and look at them."

Henrietta did with stolid indifference what the old man bade her and
drew forth from this peculiar repository--which served as a sort of lair
for snuff-boxes, pill-boxes and odd bits of pastry--a large bundle of
manuscripts which she recognized at the first glance. The apprehended
papers, which during her illness had prevented her from