; Mr. Tom had taken the sailor suitor under his
protection; there was to be a distinction drawn.

One night, just after Frank King had left, Tom and his sister were by
themselves in the billiard-room.

'I want to speak to you, Madge,' said he, in a tone that meant
something serious.

'Very well, then.'

'Now, none of your airs and pretence,' he said. 'You needn't try to
gammon me.'

'If you would talk English, one might understand you,' she said,
spitefully.

'You understand me well enough. When you were on the pier, this
morning your eyes were just as wide open as anybody's. And again this
afternoon, when you were up on the Marine Parade.'

Madge flushed a little, but said nothing.

'You know as well as anybody that that fellow Hanbury is hanging
about,' said Tom, regarding her with suspicion. 'He is always
loitering round, dodging after you. And I won't have it. I'll write
to the Chief Clerk if he doesn't mind.'

'I don't suppose the Chief Clerk and the Vice-Chancellor and the whole
lot of them,' said Madge, pretending to be much interested in the tip
of her cue, 'can expel a person from Brighton who is doing no harm.'

'Doing no harm? If you didn't encourage him, do you think he'd hang
about like that? If he knew distinctly you wanted him to be off, do
you think he'd spend his time slinking about the streets? I believe he
has been writing to you again.'

This was quite a random shot, but it told.

'He sent me one letter--not in his own handwriting,' Madge confessed,
diffidently.

'Show it to me!'

'I can't. I burned it. I was afraid. Tom, you wouldn't get the poor
fellow into trouble!'

'I've no patience with you!' he said angrily. 'Why can't you be fair
and aboveboard? Why don't you send the fellow about his business at
once----'

'Well, I have.'

'Why don't you settle the thing straight? You know Frank King wants to
marry you: anybody can see that. Why don't you have him, and be done
with it?'

Madge turned away a little, and said with a very pretty smile,

'And so I would, if he would ask me.'

Well, Mr. Tom thought he knew something of the ways of womankind, from
having been brought up among so many; but this fairly took his breath
away. He stared at her. He laid down his cue.

'Well, I'm smashed,' he said at length. And then he added slowly, 'I'm
glad I've got nothing to do with you women. I believe you'd roast any
fellow alive, and then cut him into bits for fou