a day before. His proposal of
marriage had not been accepted, had not even been considered by the woman
who had so lately broken ironclad convention to propose marriage to him.
He had been treated merely as a scapegrace debtor who had come to ask
favours from an old friend. He had even been treated like a bad boy; had
been told that he had wasted money; had been ordered, in no doubtful way,
to bring the full schedule of his debts. And all the time he dared not
say anything lest the thing shouldn't come off at all. Stephen had such
an infernally masterly way with her! It didn't matter whether she was
proposing to him, or he was proposing to her, he was made to feel small
all the same. He would have to put up with it till he had got rid of the
debts!

And then as to the letter. Why was she so persistent about seeing it?
Did she want to get it into her hands and then keep it, as Harold An Wolf
had done? Was it possible that she suspected he would use it to coerce
her; she would call it 'blackmail,' he supposed. This being the very
thing he had intended to do, and had done, he grew very indignant at the
very thought of being accused of it. It was, he felt, a very awkward
thing that he had lost possession of the letter. He might need it if
Stephen got nasty. Then Harold might give it to her, as he had
threatened to do. He thought he would call round that evening by
Harold's house, and see if he couldn't get back the letter. It belonged
to him; Harold had no right to keep it. He would see him before he and
Stephen got putting their heads together. So, on his way home, he turned
his steps at once to Harold's house.

He did not find him in. The maid who opened the door could give him no
information; all she could say was that Mrs. Dingle the housekeeper had
got a telegram from Master saying that he had been called suddenly away
on business.

This was a new source of concern to Leonard. He suspected a motive of
some sort; though what that motive could be he could not hazard the
wildest guess. On his way home he called at the post-office and sent a
telegram to Cavendish and Cecil, the name of the usurers' firm, in
accordance with Stephen's direction. He signed it: 'Jasper Everard.'

CHAPTER XVII--A BUSINESS TRANSACTION

When Stephen had sent off her letter to the bank she went out for a
stroll; she knew it would be no use trying to get rest before dinner.
That ordeal, too, had to be gone through.