into them of
course. There the poor things are, and we mean to stand by them. There
must be a proper provision for the wife--that the courts can get out of
him. And as to the girl--why, she is his heiress!--and ought to be
acknowledged as such."

Tatham turned suddenly, as he spoke, and fixed a pair of very straight
blue eyes on his companion.

"Mr. Melrose is not bound to make her his heir," said Faversham quietly.

"Not bound! I daresay. But who else is there? He's not very likely to
leave it to any of _us_," said Tatham with a grin. "And he's not the kind
of gentleman to be endowing missions. Who is there?" he repeated.

"Mr. Melrose will please himself," said Faversham, coldly. "Of that we
may be sure. Now then--what is it exactly that these ladies have come to
ask?" he continued, in a sharp businesslike tone. "You are aware of
course that Mrs. Melrose left her husband of her own free will--without
any provocation?"

"You won't get a judge to believe that very easily--in the case of
Melrose! Anyway she's done nothing criminal. And she's willing, poor
wretch! to go back to him. But if not, she asks for a maintenance
allowance, suitable to his wealth and position, and that the daughter
should be provided for. _You_ can't surely refuse to support us so far?"

Tatham had insensibly stiffened in his chair. His manner which at first,
though not exactly cordial, had still been that of the college friend and
contemporary, had unconsciously, in the course of the conversation,
assumed a certain tone of authority, as though there spoke through him
the force of a settled and traditional society, of which he knew himself
to be one of the natural chiefs.

To Faversham, full of a secret bitterness, this second manner of Tatham's
was merely arrogance. His own pride rose against it, and what he felt it
implied. Not a sign of that confidence in the new agent which had been so
freely expressed at Duddon a couple of months before! His detractors had
no doubt been at work with this jolly, stupid fellow, whom everybody
liked. He would have to fight for himself. Well, he would fight!

"I shall certainly support any just claim," he said, as Tatham rose, "but
I warn you that Mr. Melrose is ill--he is very irritable--and Mrs.
Melrose had better not attempt to spring any surprises on him. If she
will write me a letter, I will see that it gets to Mr. Melrose, and I
will do my best for her."

"No one could ask you to do any more," sai