will forgive
me--it is very well meant indeed by you--but it was not my proposition.
The market-price is fifteen pounds--and we were prepared to pay it."
Thorpe laughed in a peremptory, gusty way. "But you can't pay more than
I ask!" he told him, with rough geniality. "Come, if I let you and your
nephew in out of the cold, what kind of men-folk would you be to insist
that your niece should be left outside? As I said, I don't want her
money. I don't want any woman's money. If I'm going to be nice to the
rest of the family, what's the objection to my being nice to her?"

"Monsieur," said the Frenchman, after an instant's reflection, "I offer
none. I did not at the moment perceive the spirit of your words, but
I recognize now that it was delicacy itself. I tender you the most
profound thanks--for ALL the family."

After some further conversation the elder Fromentin took his departure.
Lord Chaldon apparently proposed to accompany him, but Thorpe begged him
to remain, and he put aside his hat once more and resumed his seat.

Thorpe walked about a little, with his hands in his pockets, in a
restless way. "If it isn't unpleasant to you, I think I'll light a
cigar," he said suddenly, and moved over to the cabinet. He poured out a
drink of neat brandy, as well, and furtively swallowed it. Then he came
back, preceded by a cloud of smoke.

"It went terribly against the grain," he said, with a rueful laugh. "I'd
sworn to let no Jew off with an inch of hide left on him--and here three
of them have been wheedled out of my grip already."

"Jews?" exclaimed the Marquis, much puzzled. "Did you--did you think
Fromentin was a Jew? God bless me! he's no more one than I am! Why, not
even so much, for there IS a Herschell in my pedigree. Why, dear man,
they were Crusaders!"

Thorpe smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I never noticed much," he said. "It
was a foreign-looking name. I took it for granted."

Lord Chaldon bent his brows a little. "Yes-s"--he murmured,
meditatively. "I've heard it mentioned that your enterprise was
suspected of an anti-Semitic twist. Do you mind my talking a little with
you about that?"

"Oh, not at all," the other answered with languid acquiescence, as he
seated himself.

CHAPTER XVII

LORD CHALDON'S instructive little monologue on the subject of the
Hebrew in finance afforded Thorpe a certain pleasure, which was in its
character, perhaps, more social than intellectual.

It was both a flattering