moonshine. Harold may think it's all right; but it's
not all right. There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the Probate Court.
Listen heah, Miss Cayley: Higginson and I are a jolly sight sharpah than
your friend Harold. Harold's what they call a clevah fellah in society,
and I'm what they call a fool; but I know bettah than Harold which side
of my bread's buttahed.'

'I don't doubt it,' I answered.

'Well, I have managed this business. I don't mind telling you now, I had
a telegram from Marmy's valet when we touched at Aden; and poor old
Marmy's sinking. Habakkuk's been too much for him. Sixteen stone going
under. Why am I not with him? yah may ask. Because, when a man of
Marmy's temperament is dying, it's safah to be away from him. There's
plenty of time for Marmy to altah his will yet--and there are othah
contingencies. Still, Harold's quite out of it. You take my word for it;
if you back Harold, you back a man who's not going to get anything;
while if you back me, you back the winnah, with a coronet into the
bargain.' And he smiled fatuously.

I looked at him with a look that would have made a wiser man wince. But
it fell flat on Lord Southminster. 'Do you know why I do not rise and go
down to my cabin at once?' I said, slowly. 'Because, if I did, somebody
as I passed might see my burning cheeks--cheeks flushed with shame at
your insulting proposal--and might guess that you had asked me, and that
I had refused you. And I should shrink from the disgrace of anyone's
knowing that you had put such a humiliation upon me. You have been frank
with me--after your kind, Lord Southminster; frank with the frankness of
a low and purely commercial nature. I will be frank with you in turn.
You are right in supposing that I love Harold Tillington--a man whose
name I hate to mention in your presence. But you are wrong in supposing
that the disposition of Mr. Marmaduke Ashurst's money has or can have
anything to do with the feelings I entertain towards him. I would marry
him all the sooner if he were poor and penniless. You cannot
_understand_ that state of mind, of course: but you must be content to
_accept_ it. And I would not marry _you_ if there were no other man left
in the world to marry. I should as soon think of marrying a lump of
dough.' I faced him all crimson. 'Is _that_ plain enough? Do you see now
that I really mean it?'

He gazed at me with a curious look, and twirled what he considered his
moustache once more, quite