," repeated Mr. Levy, surprised. "I thought that that was what we
were not to do."

"Never mind, never mind. I'm playing a better game than that now,"
continued Mr. Benjamin. "I'll leave it to you to make the bargain.
There's no one can beat you at that, you know, dad."

Mr. Levy acknowledged his son's compliment with a gratified smile.

"Well, well, Benjamin, we'll say nothing about that. I'll do my best,
you may be sure," he declared fervently.

"I may as well just mention that I have ascertained how much money she
has got," Mr. Benjamin went on. "She's worth, until her father dies,
about fifteen thousand pounds. We won't be hard on her. Suppose we say
five thousand the lowest, eh?"

"All right, Benjamin, all right," the old man murmured, rubbing his
hands softly together. "Five thousand pounds! My eye! And how long shall
you be away?"

"I can't quite tell, dad. Just keep your pecker up, and stick to the
biz."

"Yes, Ben, yes. And of course you can't stop to tell me about it now,
but won't this five thousand pounds from the young lady about put an end
to this little game, eh? And, if so, need you go following this Mr.
Maddison all over the country, eh? An expensive journey, Ben. You've got
that fifty-pound note, you know."

Mr. Benjamin laughed contemptuously.

"You'll never make a pile, you won't, dad," he exclaimed. "You're so
plaguedly narrow minded. Listen here," he added, drawing a little closer
to him, and looking round over his shoulder to be sure that no one was
listening to him. "When I come back, I'll make you open your eyes. You
think this thing played out, do you? Bah! The letters aren't worth
twopence to us. When I come back from abroad, I'm going to commence to
play this game in a manner that'll rather astonish you, and a certain
other person. Ta-ta, guv'nor."

Mr. Benjamin Levy was a smart young man, but he had a narrow escape that
afternoon, for as he was sauntering up and down the platform at
Waterloo, whom should he see within a dozen yards of him but Mr.
Maddison and Miss Thurwell. He had just time to jump into a third-class
carriage, and spread a paper out before his face, before they were upon
him.

"Jove, that was a shave!" he muttered to himself. "Blest if I thought
they were as thick as that. I wonder if she's going with him. No,
there's no female luggage, and that's her maid hanging about behind
there. Moses, ain't she a slap-up girl, and ain't they just spooney!
D--d if he ain'