the girl's fortune,--down on
the nail! That was his idea; and the old man was robbing him in
not acting up to it. As he thought of this he cursed his ill luck.
The husbands of other girls had their fortunes conveyed to them
immediately on their marriage. What would not L20,000 do for him, if
he could get it into his hand? And so he taught himself to regard
the old man as a robber and himself as a victim. Who among us is
there that does not teach himself the same lesson? And then too how
cruelly, how damnably he had been used by the Duchess of Omnium! And
now Sexty Parker, whose fortune he was making for him, whose fortune
he at any rate intended to make, was troubling him in various ways.
"We're in a boat together," Sexty had said. "You've had the use of my
money, and by heavens you have it still. I don't see why you should
be so stiff. Do you bring your missus to Dovercourt, and I'll take
mine, and let 'em know each other." There was a little argument on
the subject, but Sexty Parker had the best of it, and in this way the
trip to Dovercourt was arranged.

Lopez was in a very good humour when he took his wife down, and he
walked her round the terraces and esplanades of that not sufficiently
well-known marine paradise, now bidding her admire the sea and now
laughing at the finery of the people, till she became gradually
filled with an idea that as he was making himself pleasant, she also
ought to do the same. Of course she was not happy. The gilding had so
completely and so rapidly been washed off her idol that she could not
be very happy. But she also could be good-humoured. "And now," said
he, smiling, "I have got something for you to do for me,--something
that you will find very disagreeable."

"What is it? It won't be very bad, I'm sure."

"It will be very bad, I'm afraid. My excellent but horribly vulgar
partner, Mr. Sextus Parker, when he found that I was coming here,
insisted on bringing his wife and children here also. I want you to
know them."

"Is that all? She must be very bad indeed if I can't put up with
that."

"In one sense she isn't bad at all. I believe her to be an excellent
woman, intent on spoiling her children and giving her husband a good
dinner every day. But I think you'll find that she is,--well,--not
quite what you call a lady."

"I shan't mind that in the least. I'll help her to spoil the
children."

"You can get a lesson there, you know," he said, looking into her
face. The little