d till the Squire had gone up to the porter and
returned to the street, and then he crossed over and seized him
by the arm. "Harry," he said, "you didn't expect to see me in
London;--did you?"

"Certainly not," said the other, implying very plainly by his looks
that the meeting had given him no special pleasure.

"I came up yesterday afternoon, and I was at Cutcote's the tailor's,
and at Messrs. Bringemout and Neversell's. Bringemout has retired,
but it's Neversell that does the business. And then I went down to
see old Drybird, and I called on young Dozey at his office. But
everybody is out of town. I never saw anything like it. I vote that
we take to having holidays in the country, and all come to London,
and live in the empty houses."

"I suppose you came up to look after me?" said Gilmore, with a brow
as black as a thunder-cloud.

Fenwick perceived that he need not carry on any further his lame
pretences. "Well, I did. Come, old fellow, this won't do, you know.
Everything is not to be thrown overboard because a girl doesn't know
her own mind. Aren't your anchors better than that?"

"I haven't an anchor left," said Gilmore.

"How can you be so weak and so wicked as to say so? Come, Harry, take
a turn with me in the park. You may be quite sure I shan't let you go
now I've got you."

"You'll have to let me go," said the other.

"Not till I've told you my mind. Everybody is out of town, so I
suppose even a parson may light a cigar down here. Harry, you must
come back with me."

"No;--I cannot."

"Do you mean to say that you will yield up all your strength, all
your duty, all your life, and throw over every purpose of your
existence because you have been ill-used by a wench? Is that your
idea of manhood,--of that manhood you have so often preached?"

"After what I have suffered there I cannot bear the place."

"You must force yourself to bear it. Do you mean to say that because
you are unhappy you will not pay your debts?"

"I owe no man a shilling;--or, if I do, I will pay it to-morrow."

"There are debts you can only settle by daily payments. To every man
living on your land you owe such a debt. To every friend connected
with you by name, or blood, or love, you owe such a debt. Do you
suppose that you can cast yourself adrift, and make yourself a
by-word, and hurt no one but yourself? Why is it that we hate a
suicide?"

"Because he sins."

"Because he is a coward, and runs away from the burden whi