or
your own," said Lady Ball; "you had better not interrupt your uncle
in the study; but I daresay you'll find the dining-room disengaged."

So Miss Mackenzie led the way into the dining-room, and Mr Rubb
followed. There they found some of the girls, who stared very hard at
Mr Rubb, as they left the room at their cousin's request. As soon as
they were left alone Mr Rubb began his work manfully.

"Margaret," said he, "I hope you will let me call you so now that you
are in trouble?"

To this she made no answer.

"But perhaps your trouble is over? Perhaps you have found out that it
isn't as you told us the other day?"

"No, Mr Rubb; I have found nothing of that kind; I believe it is as I
told you."

"Then I'll tell you what I propose. You haven't given up the fight,
have you? You have not done anything?"

"I have done nothing as yet."

"Then I'll tell you my plan. Fight it out."

"I do not want to fight for anything that is not my own."

"But it is your own. It is your own of rights, even though it should
not be so by some quibble of the lawyers. I don't believe twelve
Englishmen would be found in London to give it to anybody else; I
don't indeed."

"But my own lawyer tells me it isn't mine, Mr Rubb."

"Never mind him; don't you give up anything. Don't you let them make
you soft. When it comes to money nobody should give up anything. Now
I'll tell you what I propose."

She now sat down and listened to him, while he stood over her. It was
manifest that he was very eager, and in his eagerness he became loud,
so that she feared his words might be heard out of the room.

"You know what my sentiments are," he said. At that moment she did
not remember what his sentiments were, nor did she know what he
meant. "They're the same now as ever. Whether you have got your
fortune, or whether you've got nothing, they're the same. I've
seen you tried alongside of your brother, when he was a-dying, and,
Margaret, I like you now better than ever I did."

"Mr Rubb, at present, all that cannot mean anything."

"But doesn't it mean anything? By Jove! it does though. It means just
this, that I'll make you Mrs Rubb to-morrow, or as soon as Doctors'
Commons, and all that, will let us do it; and I'll chance the money
afterwards. Do you let it just go easy, and say nothing, and I'll
fight them. If the worst comes to the worst, they'll be willing
enough to cry halves with us. But, Margaret, if the worst does come
to be worse t