atived by a proper authority. When starting for
Brussels he was a free man; and had he been wise he would have
remained there, or at some equally safe distance from the lady's
charms. Then, from a distance, he might have made his demand for
money, and the elopement would have operated in his favour rather
than otherwise. But he had come back, and had foolishly allowed
himself to be persuaded to show himself at Queen's Gate. He had
obeyed Traffick's advice, and now Traffick had simply thrown him over
and quarrelled with him. He had too promised, in the presence both of
the mother and the married sister, that he would marry the young lady
without any regard to money. He felt it all and was very angry with
himself, consoling himself as best he might with the reflection that
Sir Thomas's money was certainly safe, and that Sir Thomas himself
was a liberal man. In his present condition it would be well for him,
he thought, to remain inactive and see what circumstances would do
for him.

But circumstances very quickly became active. On his return to his
lodgings, after leaving Mr. Traffick, he found a note from Queen's
Gate. "Dearest Ben,--Mamma wants you to come and lunch to-morrow.
Papa has taken poor Tom down to Liverpool, and won't be back till
dinner-time.--G." He did not do as he was bid, alleging some
engagement of business. But the persecution was continued in such
a manner as to show him that all opposition on his part would be
hopeless unless he were to proceed on some tour as prolonged as that
of his future brother-in-law. "Come and walk at three o'clock in
Kensington Gardens to-morrow." This was written on the Saturday after
his note had been received. What use would there be in continuing a
vain fight? He was in their hands, and the more gracefully he yielded
the more probable it would be that the father would evince his
generosity at an early date. He therefore met his lady-love on the
steps of the Albert Memorial, whither she had managed to take herself
all alone from the door of the family mansion.

"Ben," she said, as she greeted him, "why did you not come for me to
the house?"

"I thought you would like it best."

"Why should I like it best? Of course mamma knows all about it.
Augusta would have come with me just to see me here, only that she
cannot walk out just at present." Then he said something to her about
the Monument, expressed his admiration of the Prince's back, abused
the east wind, remarked t