e hardened his heart against Frank Houston. Now
Frank Houston, could he have got his wife with L6,000 a year,--as Mr.
Traffick had done,--would certainly not have troubled the Tringle
mansions with too much of his presence. It would have been his object
to remove himself as far as possible from the Tringles, and to have
enjoyed his life luxuriously with the proceeds of his wife's fortune.
But his hopes in this respect were unjustly impeded by Mr. Traffick's
parsimony. Soon after leaving the hotel in the Tyrol at which we
lately saw him, Frank Houston wrote to his lady-love, declaring the
impatience of his ardour, and suggesting that it would be convenient
if everything could be settled before Christmas. In his letter he
declared to Gertrude how very uncomfortable it was to him to have to
discuss money matters with her father. It was so disagreeable that he
did not think that he could bring himself to do it again. But, if she
would only be urgent with her father, she would of course prevail.
Acting upon this Gertrude determined to be urgent with her father
on his second coming to Merle Park, when, as has been explained,
Sir Thomas was in a frame of mind very much opposed to impecunious
sons-in-law. Previous to attacking her father Gertrude had tried
her hand again upon her mother, but Lady Tringle had declined. "If
anything is to be done you must do it yourself," Lady Tringle had
said.

"Papa," said Gertrude, having followed him into a little sitting-room
where he digested and arranged his telegrams when at Merle Park, "I
wish something could be settled about Mr. Houston."

Sir Thomas at this moment was very angry. Mr. Traffick had not only
asked for the loan of a carriage to take him into Hastings, but had
expressed a wish that there might be a peculiar kind of claret served
at dinner with which he was conversant and to which he was much
attached. "Then," said he, "you may as well have it all settled at
once."

"How, papa?"

"You may understand for good and all that I will have nothing to do
with Mr. Houston."

"Papa, that would be very cruel."

"My dear, if you call me cruel I will not allow you to come and talk
to me at all. Cruel indeed! What is your idea of cruelty?"

"Everybody knows that we are attached to each other."

"Everybody knows nothing of the kind. I know nothing of the kind. And
you are only making a fool of yourself. Mr. Houston is a penniless
adventurer and is only attached to my money. He s