to do an imprudence. There is, however, much to be thought of, papa.
In a few days more Ludlow is to be back here with my letters, more than
ever necessary at this moment, when any scandal might be fatal. If he
were to know anything of this accession of fortune, his demands would be
insupportable."

"No doubt of that. At the same time, if he merely hears that your
marriage with the Baronet is broken off, he will be more tractable. How
are you to obtain these letters?"

"I don't know," said she, with a stolid look.

"Are you to buy them?"

"I don't know."

"He will scarcely surrender them out of any impulse of generosity?"

"I don't know," said she, again; and over her features there was a
sickly pallor that changed all their expression, and made her look even
years older than she was. He looked at her compassionately, for there
was that in her face that might well have challenged pity.

"But, Loo, dearest," said he, encouragingly, "place the affair in my
hands, and see if I cannot bring it to a good ending."

"He makes it a condition to treat with none but myself, and there is a
cowardice in this of which he knows all the advantage."

"It must be a question of money, after all. It is a matter of figures."

"He would say not. At the very moment of driving his hardest bargain
he would interpose some reference to what he is pleased to call 'his
feelings.' I told him that even Shylock did not insult his victim with a
mock sympathy, nor shed false tears over the pain his knife was about to
inflict."

"It was not the way to conciliate him, Loo."

"Conciliate him! Oh, how you know him!" She pressed her hands over her
face as she spoke, and when she withdrew them the cheeks were scalded
with tears.

"Come, come, Loo, this is scarcely like yourself."

"There, it's over now," said she, smiling, with a half-sad look, as
she pushed her hair back, as though to suffer the cool air to bathe her
forehead. "Oh dear!" sighed she out, "if I only could have foreseen all
the perils before me, I might have borne with George Ogden, and lived
and died what the world calls respectable."

He gave a little sigh too, which might have meant that he agreed with
her, or that the alternative was a hard one, or that respectability was
a very expensive thing for people of small means, or a little of all
three together, which was most probable, since the Captain rarely dealt
in motives that were not sufficiently mixed.

"And now, pa