e," said Wodehouse, hastily, in his beard; "I aint a man to
forsake old friends. If Jack Wentworth does not mean anything
unreasonable, or against a fellow's honour--Hold your tongue, Waters;
by Jove! I know my friends. I know you would never have been one of
them but for Jack Wentworth. He's not the common sort, I can tell you.
He's the greatest swell going, by Jove!" cried Jack's admiring
follower, "and through thick and thin he's stood by me. I aint going
to forsake him now--that is, if he don't want anything that goes
against a fellow's honour," said the repentant prodigal, again sinking
the voice which he had raised for a moment. As he spoke he looked more
wistfully than ever towards his leader, who said "Pshaw!" with an
impatient gesture, and put back his cigar.

"This room is too hot for anything," said Jack; "but don't open the
window, I entreat of you. I hate to assist at the suicide of a set of
insane insects. For heaven's sake, Frank, mind what you're doing. As
for Mr Wodehouse's remark," said Jack, lightly, "I trust I never could
suggest anything which would wound his keen sense of honour. I advise
you to marry and settle, as I am in the habit of advising young men;
and if I were to add that it would be seemly to make some provision
for your sisters--"

"Stop there!" said the Curate, who had taken no part in the scene up
to this moment. He had stood behind rather contemptuously, determined
to have nothing to do with his ungrateful and ungenerous protege. But
now an unreasonable impulse forced him into the discussion. "The less
that is said on that part of the subject the better," he said, with
some natural heat. "I object to the mixing up of names which--which no
one here has any right to bandy about--"

"That is very true," said Mr Proctor; "but still they have their
rights," the late Rector added after a pause. "We have no right to
stand in the way of their--their interest, you know." It occurred to
Mr Proctor, indeed, that the suggestion was on the whole a sensible
one. "Even if they were to--to marry, you know, they might still be
left unprovided for," said the late Rector. "I think it is quite just
that some provision should be made for that."

And then there was a pause. Frank Wentworth was sufficiently aware after
his first start of indignation that he had no right to interfere, as Mr
Proctor said, between the Miss Wodehouses and their interest. He had no
means of providing for them, of setting th