ounds he would proceed against me."

"But you settled all that matter with Sowerby?"

"I did settle it at a very great cost to me. Sooner than have a fuss,
I paid him through the nose--like a fool that I was--everything that
he claimed. This is an absolute swindle, and if it goes on I will
expose it as such." Robarts looked round the room, but luckily there
was not a soul in it but themselves. "You do not mean to say that
Sowerby is swindling you?" said the clergyman.

"It looks very like it," said Lord Lufton; "and I tell you fairly
that I am not in a humour to endure any more of this sort of thing.
Some years ago I made an ass of myself through that man's fault. But
four thousand pounds should have covered the whole of what I really
lost. I have now paid more than three times that sum; and, by
heavens! I will not pay more without exposing the whole affair."

"But, Lufton, I do not understand. What is this bill?--has it your
name to it?

"Yes, it has: I'll not deny my name, and if there be absolute need I
will pay it; but, if I do so, my lawyer shall sift it, and it shall
go before a jury."

"But I thought all those bills were paid?"

"I left it to Sowerby to get up the old bills when they were renewed,
and now one of them that has in truth been already honoured is
brought against me." Mark could not but think of the two documents
which he himself had signed, and both of which were now undoubtedly
in the hands of Tozer, or of some other gentleman of the same
profession;--which both might be brought against him, the second as
soon as he should have satisfied the first. And then he remembered
that Sowerby had said something to him about an outstanding bill,
for the filling up of which some trifle must be paid, and of this he
reminded Lord Lufton.

"And do you call eight hundred pounds a trifle? If so, I do not."

"They will probably make no such demand as that."

"But I tell you they do make such a demand, and have made it. The
man whom I saw, and who told me that he was Tozer's friend, but who
was probably Tozer himself, positively swore to me that he would be
obliged to take legal proceedings if the money were not forthcoming
within a week or ten days. When I explained to him that it was an old
bill that had been renewed, he declared that his friend had given
full value for it."

"Sowerby said that you would probably have to pay ten pounds to
redeem it. I should offer the man some such sum as that."

"M