ed his
son-in-law's hand in silence, and burst into tears.

Mr. Dicas, habitually a silent man, uttered the first two words that had
escaped him since the business began. "Highly creditable," he said, and
took a note of his instructions on the spot.

From that point the business of the settlement flowed smoothly on to its
destined end. Sir Joseph explained his views at the fullest length, and
the lawyer's pen kept pace with him. Turlington, remaining in his
place at the table, restricted himself to a purely passive part in the
proceedings. He answered briefly when it was absolutely necessary to
speak, and he agreed with the two elders in everything. A man has no
attention to place at the disposal of other people when he stands at
a crisis in his life. Turlington stood at that crisis, at the trying
moment when Sir Joseph's unexpected proposal pressed instantly for a
reply. Two merciless alternatives confronted him. Either he must repay
the borrowed forty thousand pounds on the day when repayment was due,
or he must ask Bulpit Brothers to grant him an extension of time, and so
inevitably provoke an examination into the fraudulent security deposited
with the firm, which could end in but one way. His last, literally his
last chance, after Sir Joseph had diminished the promised dowry by one
half, was to adopt the high-minded tone which became his position, and
to conceal the truth until he could reveal it to his father-in-law in
the privileged character of Natalie's husband. "I owe forty thousand
pounds, sir, in a fortnight's time, and I have not got a farthing of
my own. Pay for me, or you will see your son-in-law's name in the
Bankrupt's List." For his daughter's sake--who could doubt it?--Sir
Joseph would produce the money. The one thing needful was to be married
in time. If either by accident or treachery Sir Joseph was led into
deferring the appointed day, by so much as a fortnight only, the fatal
"call" would come, and the firm of Pizzituti, Turlington & Branca would
appear in the Gazette.

So he reasoned, standing on the brink of the terrible discovery which
was soon to reveal to him that Natalie was the wife of another man.

"Richard!"

"Mr. Turlington!"

He started, and roused his attention to present things. Sir Joseph on
one side, and the lawyer on the other, were both appealing to him, and
both regarding him with looks of amazement.

"Have you done with the settlement?" he asked.

"My dear Richard, we h