intention of proceeding
to an auction of Mrs Forbes's goods, for he saw that would put him in a
worse position with the public than any amount of quiet practice in
lying and stealing. But there was every likelihood of Annie's being
married some day; and then her money would be recalled, and he would be
left without the capital necessary for carrying on his business upon
the same enlarged scale--seeing he now supplied many of the little
country shops. It would be a grand move then, if, by a far-sighted
generalship, a careful copying of the example of his great ancestor, he
could get a permanent hold of some of Annie's property.--Hence had come
the descent upon Mrs Forbes, and here came its success.

"Ye s' hae as muckle o' mine to yer nainsel' as'll clear Mrs Forbes,"
said Annie.

"Weel. Verra weel.--But ye see that's mine for twa year and a half ony
gait. That wad only amunt to losin' her interest for twa year an' a
half--a'thegither. That winna do."

"What will do, than, Mr Bruce?"

"I dinna ken. I want my ain."

"But ye maunna torment her, Mr Bruce. Ye ken that."

"Weel! I'm open to onything rizzonable. There's the enterest for twa
an' a half--ca' 't three years--at what I could mak' o' 't--say aucht
per cent--four and twenty poun'. Syne there's her arrears o'
interest--and syne there's the loss o' the ower-turn--and syne there's
the loss o' the siller that ye winna hae to len' me.--Gin ye gie me a
quittance for a hunner an' fifty poun', I'll gie her a receipt.--It'll
be a sair loss to me!"

"Onything ye like," said Annie.

And Bruce brought out papers already written by his lawyer, one of
which he signed and the other she.

"Ye'll min'," he added, as she was leaving the shop, "that I hae to pay
ye no interest noo excep' upo' fifty poun'?"

He had paid her nothing for the last half year at least.

He would not have dared to fleece the girl thus, had she had any
legally constituted guardians; or had those who would gladly have
interfered, had power to protect her. But he took care so to word the
quittance, that in the event of any thing going wrong, he might yet
claim his hundred pounds from Mrs Forbes.

Annie read over the receipt, and saw that she had involved herself in a
difficulty. How would Mrs Forbes take it? She begged Bruce not to tell
her, and he was ready enough to consent. He did more. He wrote to Mrs
Forbes to the effect that, upon reflection, he had resolved to drop
further proceedings for