'Ring the bell, ring the bell,' said the sick man, with the same nervous
eagerness, and motioning towards it with such a quivering hand that the
bank note rustled in the air. 'Tell her to get it changed, to get me a
newspaper, to buy me some grapes, another bottle of the wine that I had
last week--and--and--I forget half I want just now, but she can go out
again. Let her get those first, those first. Now, Madeline, my love,
quick, quick! Good God, how slow you are!'

'He remembers nothing that SHE wants!' thought Nicholas. Perhaps
something of what he thought was expressed in his countenance, for the
sick man, turning towards him with great asperity, demanded to know if
he waited for a receipt.

'It is no matter at all,' said Nicholas.

'No matter! what do you mean, sir?' was the tart rejoinder. 'No matter!
Do you think you bring your paltry money here as a favour or a gift;
or as a matter of business, and in return for value received? D--n you,
sir, because you can't appreciate the time and taste which are bestowed
upon the goods you deal in, do you think you give your money away? Do
you know that you are talking to a gentleman, sir, who at one time
could have bought up fifty such men as you and all you have? What do you
mean?'

'I merely mean that as I shall have many dealings with this lady, if
she will kindly allow me, I will not trouble her with such forms,' said
Nicholas.

'Then I mean, if you please, that we'll have as many forms as we can,
returned the father. 'My daughter, sir, requires no kindness from you
or anybody else. Have the goodness to confine your dealings strictly to
trade and business, and not to travel beyond it. Every petty tradesman
is to begin to pity her now, is he? Upon my soul! Very pretty. Madeline,
my dear, give him a receipt; and mind you always do so.'

While she was feigning to write it, and Nicholas was ruminating upon the
extraordinary but by no means uncommon character thus presented to his
observation, the invalid, who appeared at times to suffer great bodily
pain, sank back in his chair and moaned out a feeble complaint that the
girl had been gone an hour, and that everybody conspired to goad him.

'When,' said Nicholas, as he took the piece of paper, 'when shall I call
again?'

This was addressed to the daughter, but the father answered immediately.

'When you're requested to call, sir, and not before. Don't worry and
persecute. Madeline, my dear, when is this person t