e what may, I'm not going to live under her
thumb." So he lighted his cigar.

"All right," said Musselboro, and he took up his pen and went to work
at his book.

"What is she coming here for this morning?" asked Broughton.

"To look after her money. What should she come for?"

"She gets her interest. I don't suppose there's better paid money in
the City."

"She hasn't got what was coming to her at Christmas yet."

"And this is February. What would she have? She had better put her
dirty money into the three per cents., if she is frightened at having
to wait a week or two."

"Can she have it to-day?"

"What, the whole of it? Of course she can't. You know that as well as
I do. She can have four hundred pounds, if she wants it. But seeing
all she gets out of the concern, she has no right to press for it in
that way. She is the ---- old usurer I ever came across in my life."

"Of course she likes her money."

"Likes her money! By George she does; her own and anybody else's that
she can get hold of. For a downright leech, recommend me always to a
woman. When a woman does go in for it, she is much more thorough than
any man." Then Broughton turned over the little pages of his book,
and Musselboro pondered over the big pages of his book, and there was
silence for a quarter of an hour.

"There's something about nine hundred and fifteen pounds due to her,"
said Musselboro.

"I daresay there is."

"It would be a very good thing to let her have it if you've got it.
The whole of it this morning, I mean."

"If! yes, if!" said Broughton.

"I know there's more than that at the bank."

"And I'm to draw out every shilling that there is! I'll see Mother
Van ---- further first. She can have L500 if she likes it,--and the
rest in a fortnight. Or she can have my note-of-hand for it all at
fourteen days."

"She won't like that at all," said Musselboro.

"Then she must lump it. I'm not going to bother myself about her.
I've pretty nearly as much money in it as she has, and we're in a
boat together. If she comes here bothering, you'd better tell her
so."

"You'll see her yourself?"

"Not unless she comes within the next ten minutes. I must go down to
the court. I said I'd be there by twelve. I've got somebody I want to
see."

"I'd stay if I were you."

"Why should I stay for her? If she thinks that I'm going to make
myself her clerk, she's mistaken. It may be all very well for you,
Mussy, but it won't do for me.