itherto, what do you mean to do till
the end of November? At Covent Garden the salaries are all paid
monthly."

There was something so ineffably low and greasy in his tone of
addressing her, that it was impossible to be surprised at the disgust
which she expressed for him.

"Mr. Moss, I am not your dear young lady," she said.

"Would that you were! We should be as happy as the day is long.
There would be no money troubles then." She could not fail to make
comparisons between him and the English nobleman who had just left
her, which left the Englishman infinitely superior; although, with
the few thoughts she had given to him, she had already begun to doubt
whether Lord Castlewell's morality stood very high. "What will you do
for money for the next three months? You cannot do without money,"
said Mr. Moss.

"I have already found a friend," said Rachel most imprudently.

"What! his lordship there?"

"I am not bound to answer any such questions."

"But I know; I can see the game is all up if it has come to that. I
am a fellow-workman, and there have been, and perhaps will be, many
relations between us. A hundred pounds advanced here or there must be
brought into the accounts sooner or later. That is honest; that will
bear daylight; no young lady need be ashamed of that; even if you
were Mrs. Jones you need not be ashamed of such a transaction."

"I am not Mrs. Jones," said Rachel in great anger.

"But if you were, Mr. Jones would have no ground of complaint, unless
indeed on the score of extravagance. But a present from this lord!"

"It is no present. It does not come from the lord; it comes from the
funds of the theatre."

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Mr. Moss. "Is that the little game with which
he attempts to cajole you? How has he got his hand into the treasury
of the theatre, so that he may be able to help you so conveniently?
You have not got the money yet, I suppose?"

"I have not got his money--which may be dangerous, or yours--which
would certainly be more so. Though from neither of you could the bare
money hurt me, if it were taken with an innocent heart. From you it
would be a distress, an annoyance, a blister. From him it would be
simply a loan either from himself or from the theatre with which he
is connected. I may be mistaken, but I have imagined that it would
come from the theatre; I will ascertain, and if it be not so, I will
decline the loan."

"Do you not know his character? nor his mode of livi