there is
every reason to believe that it's true." And again--"I believe the
man to have been as vile a scoundrel as ever was made by the love
of money." Even to Mr. Crumpy he could not be reticent. "She is an
object of pity," he said. "Her husband was ruined by the infamous
speculations of Mr. Lopez." Then he betook himself to bed. Oh, how
happy would he be to pay the two pounds weekly,--even to add to that
the amount of the forged bill, if by doing so he might be saved from
ever again hearing the name of Lopez.

The amount of the bill was ultimately lost by the bankers who had
advanced money on it. As for Mrs. Sexty Parker, from week to week,
and from month to month, and at last from year to year, she and
her children,--and probably her husband also,--were supported by
the weekly pension of two sovereigns which she always received on
Thursday morning from the hands of Mr. Crumpy himself. In a little
time the one excitement of her life was the weekly journey to Mr.
Crumpy, whom she came to regard as a man appointed by Providence
to supply her with 40s. on Thursday morning. As to poor Sexty
Parker,--it is to be feared that he never again became a prosperous
man.

"You will tell me what you did for that poor woman, papa," said
Emily, leaning over her father in the train.

"I have settled it, my dear."

"You said you'd tell me."

"Crumpy will pay her two pounds a week till we know more about it."
Emily pressed her father's hand and that was an end. No one ever did
know any more about it, and Crumpy continued to pay the money.

CHAPTER LXX

At Wharton

When Mr. Wharton and his daughter reached Wharton Hall there were at
any rate no Fletchers there as yet. Emily, as she was driven from
the station to the house, had not dared to ask a question or even to
prompt her father to do so. He would probably have told her that on
such an occasion there was but little chance that she would find any
visitors, and none at all that she would find Arthur Fletcher. But
she was too confused and too ill at ease to think of probabilities,
and to the last was in trepidation, specially lest she should meet
her lover. She found, however, at Wharton Hall none but Whartons,
and she found also to her great relief that this change in the heir
relieved her of much of the attention which must otherwise have added
to her troubles. At the first glance her dress and demeanour struck
them so forcibly that they could not avoid showing th