Pierside on the same afternoon as The Diver arrived."

"Oh, indeed!" said the Professor, struck by the coincidence, and with a
stare. "How do you know?"

"Archie met Sir Frank the other day, and learned as much."

"What?" Braddock struck a tragic attitude. "Do you mean to say that
those two young men speak to one another?"

"Yes. Why not? They are friends."

"Oh!" Braddock became roguish again. "I fancied they were lovers of a
certain young lady who is in this room."

By this time Lucy was beginning to guess what her step-father was aiming
at, and grew correspondingly angry.

"Archie is my sole lover now," she remarked stiffly. "Sir Frank knows
that we are engaged and is quite ready to be the friend of us both."

"And he calls that love. Idiot!" cried the Professor, much disgusted.
"But I would point out to you, Lucy--and I do so because of my deep
affection for you, dear child--that Sir Frank is wealthy."

"So is Archie--in my love."

"Nonsense! nonsense! That is mere foolish romance, He has no money."

"You should not say that. Archie had money to the extent of one thousand
pounds, which he gave you."

"One thousand pounds: a mere nothing. Consider, Lucy, that if you marry
Random you will have a title."

Miss Kendal, whose patience was getting exhausted, stamped a very neat
boot.

"I don't know why you talk in this way, father."

"I wish to see you happy."

"Then your wish is granted: you do see me happy. But I won't be happy
long if you keep bothering me to marry a man I don't care two straws
about. I am going to be Mrs. Hope, so there."

"My dear child," said the Professor, who always became paternal when
most obstinate, "I have reason to believe that the green mummy can be
discovered and poor Sidney's death avenged if a reward of five hundred
pounds is offered. If Hope can give me that money--"

"He will not: I shall not allow him to. He has lost too much already."

"In that case I must apply to Sir Frank Random."

"Well, apply," she snapped, being decidedly angry; "it's none of my
business. I don't want to hear anything about it."

"It is your business, miss," cried Braddock, growing angry in his turn
and becoming very pink; "you know that only by getting you to marry
Random can I procure the money."

"Oh!" said Lucy coldly. "So this is why you sent for me. Now, father, I
have had enough of this. You gave your consent to Archie being engaged
to me in exchange for one thousand pounds. As