I would
oblige him in one particular. But I could not do the thing he wanted;
and when we parted, I had his positive assurance that he would
leave me nothing. That was the last time I saw him." And as Bertram
remembered what that request was to which he had refused to accede,
his brow also grew black.

"Tell me honestly, then, if you can be honest in the matter, who is
to have his money?"

"I can be very honest, for I know nothing. My belief is that neither
you nor I will have a shilling of it."

"Well, then; I'll tell you what. Of course you know that Lady
Harcourt is down there?"

"Yes; I know that she is at Hadley."

"I'll not submit to be treated in this way. I have been a deuced
sight too quiet, because I have not chosen to disturb him in his
illness. Now I will have an answer from him. I will know what he
means to do; and if I do not know by to-morrow night, I will go down,
and will, at any rate, bring my wife away with me. I wish you to tell
him that I want to know what his intentions are. I have a right to
demand as much."

"Be that as it may, you have no right to demand anything through me."

"I have ruined myself--or nearly so, for that woman."

"I wonder, Harcourt, that you do not see that I am not the man you
should select to speak to on such a subject."

"You are the man, because you are her cousin. I went to enormous
expense to give her a splendid home, knowing, of course, that his
wealth would entitle her to it. I bought a house for her, and
furnished it as though she were a duchess--"

"Good heavens, Harcourt! Is this anything to me? Did I bid you buy
the house? If you had not given her a chair to sit on, should I have
complained? I tell you fairly, I will have nothing to do with it."

"Then it will be the worse for her--that's all."

"May God help her! She must bear her lot, as must I mine, and you
yours."

"And you refuse to take my message to your uncle?"

"Certainly. Whether I shall see him or not I do not yet know. If I
do, I certainly shall not speak to him about money unless he begins.
Nor shall I speak about you, unless he shall seem to wish it. If he
asks about you, I will tell him that you have been with me."

After some further discussion, Harcourt left him. George Bertram
found it difficult to understand what motive could have brought him
there. But drowning men catch at straws. Sir Henry was painfully
alive to the consideration, that if anything was to be done about the