men, I lost by degrees
the sense of my hold on her. It struck me that my worst fears of
the effect produced on the princess's mind by that last scene in the
lake-palace must be true, and I abandoned hope. Temple thought she
tried me too cruelly. Under these circumstances I became less and
less resolutely disposed to renew the forlorn conflict with my father
concerning his prodigal way of living. 'Let it last as long as I have a
penny to support him!' I exclaimed. He said that Dettermain and Newson
were now urging on his case with the utmost despatch in order to keep
pace with him, but that the case relied for its life on his preserving
a great appearance. He handed me his division of our twin cheque-books,
telling me he preferred to depend on his son for supplies, and I was in
the mood to think this a partial security.

'But you can take what there is,' I said.

'On the contrary, I will accept nothing but minor sums--so to speak,
the fractional shillings; though I confess I am always bewildered by
silver,' said he.

I questioned him upon his means of carrying on his expenditure. His
answer was to refer to the pavement of the city of London. By paving
here and there he had, he informed me, made a concrete for the wheels to
roll on. He calculated that he now had credit for the space of three new
years--ample time for him to fight his fight and win his victory.

'My tradesmen are not like the tradesmen of other persons,' he broke
out with a curious neigh of supreme satisfaction in that retinue. 'They
believe in me. I have de facto harnessed them to my fortunes; and if you
doubt me on the point of success, I refer you to Dettermain and Newson.
All I stipulate for is to maintain my position in society to throw a
lustre on my Case. So much I must do. My failures hitherto have been
entirely owing to the fact that I had not my son to stand by me.'

'Then you must have money, sir.'

'Yes, money.'

'Then what can you mean by refusing mine?'

'I admit the necessity for it, my son. Say you hand me a cheque for a
temporary thousand. Your credit and mine in conjunction can replace it
before the expiration of the two months. Or,' he meditated, 'it might be
better to give a bond or so to a professional lender, and preserve the
account at your bankers intact. The truth is, I have, in my interview
with the squire, drawn in advance upon the material success I have
a perfect justification to anticipate, and I cannot allow the old