o remember the years
her father and he had been as brothers; how she had grown up in the
shop, and had been to him, until misunderstandings arose, into the
causes of which he could not now enter, in the place of a daughter; and
insisting that her withdrawal from it had had no small share in the
ruin of the business. For these considerations, and, more than all, for
the memory of her father, he entreated her to leave things as they
were, to trust him to see after the interests of the daughter of his
old friend, and not insist upon measures which must end in a forced
sale, in the shutting up of the shop of Turnbull and Marston, and the
disgracing of her father's name along with his.

Mary replied that she was acting by the advice of her father's lawyer,
and with the regard she owed her father's memory, in severing all
connection with a man in whom she no longer had confidence; and
insisted that the business must be wound up as soon as possible.

She instructed Mr. Brett, at the same time, that, if it could be
managed, she would prefer getting the shop, even at considerable loss,
into her own hands, with what stock might be in it, when she would
attempt to conduct the business on principles her father would have
approved, whereby she did not doubt of soon restoring it to repute.
While she had no intention, she said, of selling so _well_ as Mr.
Turnbull would fain have done, she believed she would soon be able to
buy to just as good advantage as he. It would be necessary, however, to
keep her desire a secret, else Mr. Turnbull would be certain to
frustrate it.

Mr. Brett approved of her plan, for he knew she was much respected, and
had many friends. Mr. Turnbull would be glad, he said, to give up the
whole to escape prosecution--that at least was how Mary interpreted his
somewhat technical statement of affairs between them.

The swindler wrote again, begging for an interview--which she declined,
except in the presence of her lawyer.

She made up her mind that she would not go near Testbridge till
everything was settled, and the keys of the shop in Mr. Brett's hands;
and remained, therefore, where she was--with Letty, who to keep her
company delayed her departure as long as she could without giving
offense at Thornwick.

A few days before Letty was at last compelled to leave, Jasper called,
and heard about as much as they knew themselves of their plans. When
Mary said to him she would miss her pupil, he smiled in a so