he
respect which a man owes to himself. May God in his mercy watch over
us and protect us both!

Such a man was Snow pere as he stood before Graham in his chambers in
the Temple. He could not ask him to sit down, so he himself stood up
as he talked to him. At first the man was civil, twirling his old hat
about, and shifting from one foot to the other;--very civil, and also
somewhat timid, for he knew that he was half drunk at the moment. But
when he began to ascertain what was Graham's object in sending for
him, and to understand that the gentleman before him did not propose
to himself the honour of being his son-in-law, then his civility left
him, and, drunk as he was, he spoke out his mind with sufficient
freedom.

"You mean to say, Mr. Graham"--and under the effect of gin he turned
the name into Gorm--"that you are going to throw that young girl
over?"

"I mean to say no such thing. I shall do for her all that is in my
power. And if that is not as much as she deserves, it will, at any
rate, be more than you deserve for her."

"And you won't marry her?"

"No; I shall not marry her. Nor does she wish it. I trust that she
will be engaged, with my full approbation--"

"And what the deuce, sir, is your full approbation to me? Whose
child is she, I should like to know? Look here, Mr. Gorm; perhaps
you forget that you wrote me this letter when I allowed you to have
the charge of that young girl?" And he took out from his breast a
very greasy pocket-book, and displayed to Felix his own much-worn
letter,--holding it, however, at a distance, so that it should not
be torn from his hands by any sudden raid. "Do you think, sir, I
would have given up my child if I didn't know she was to be married
respectable? My child is as dear to me as another man's."

"I hope she is. And you are a very lucky fellow to have her so well
provided for. I've told you all I've got to say, and now you may go."

"Mr. Gorm!"

"I've nothing more to say; and if I had, I would not say it to you
now. Your child shall be taken care of."

"That's what I call pretty cool on the part of any gen'leman. And
you're to break your word,--a regular breach of promise, and nothing
ain't to come of it! I'll tell you what, Mr. Gorm, you'll find that
something will come of it. What do you think I took this letter for?"

"You took it, I hope, for Mary's protection."

"And by ---- she shall be protected."

"She shall, undoubtedly; but I fear not by you. F