om her aunt's gripe, would not say a word that might
tend to ease Lady Ball's mind. If she had told all that she knew, all
that she surmised, how would her aunt have rejoiced? That the money
should come without the wife would indeed have been a triumph! And
Margaret in telling all would have had nothing to tell of those
terribly foolish thoughts which were then at work in the City. To her
such a state of things as that which I have hinted would have seemed
quite as improbable, quite as unaccountable, as it would have done
to her aunt. But she did not tell all, nor in truth did she tell
anything.

"And John was with you at the lawyer's," said Lady Ball, attempting
her cross-examination for the third time. "Yes; he was with me
there."

"And what did he say when you asked Mr Slow to make such a settlement
as that?"

"He didn't say anything, aunt. The whole thing was put off."

"I know it was put off; of course it was put off. I didn't suppose
any respectable lawyer in London would have dreamed of doing such a
thing. But what I want to know is, how it was put off. What did Mr
Slow say?"

"I am to see him again next week."

"But not to get him to do anything of that kind?"

"I can't tell, aunt, what he is to do then."

"But what did he say when you made such a proposition as that? Did he
not tell you that it was quite out of the question?"

"I don't think he said that, aunt."

"Then what did he say? Margaret, I never saw such a person as you
are. Why should you be so mysterious? There can't be anything you
don't want me to know, seeing how very much I am concerned; and I do
think you ought to tell me all that occurred, knowing, as you do,
that I have done my very best to be kind to you."

"Indeed there isn't anything I can tell--not yet."

Then Lady Ball remained silent at the bed-head for the space,
perhaps, of ten minutes, meditating over it all. If her son was, in
truth, engaged to this woman, at any rate she would find that out. If
she asked a point-blank question on that subject, Margaret would not
be able to leave it unanswered, and would hardly be able to give a
directly false answer.

"My dear," she said, "I think you will not refuse to tell me plainly
whether there is anything between you and John. As his mother, I have
a right to know?"

"How anything between us?" said Margaret, raising herself on her
elbow.

"Are you engaged to marry him?"

"Oh, dear! no."

"And there is nothing of that so