hall never see a
penny of it."

"He is not an adventurer, papa. He is much less like an adventurer
than Mr. Traffick. He has an income of his own, only it is not much."

"About as much as would pay his bill at the club for cigars and
champagne. You may make your mind at rest, for I will not give
Mr. Houston a shilling. Why should a man expect to live out of my
earnings who never did a day's work in his life?"

Gertrude left the room despondently, as there was nothing more to be
done on the occasion. But it seemed to her as though she were being
used with the utmost cruelty. Augusta had been allowed to marry her
man without a shilling, and had been enriched with L120,000. Why
should she be treated worse than Augusta? She was very strongly
of opinion that Frank Houston was very much better than Septimus
Traffick. Mr. Traffick's aptitude for saving his money was already
known to the whole household. Frank would never wish to save. Frank
would spend her income for her like a gentleman. Frank would not hang
about Glenbogie or Merle Park till he should be turned out. Everybody
was fond of Frank. But she, Gertrude, had already learnt to despise
Mr. Traffick, Member of Parliament though he was. She had already
begun to think that having been chosen by Frank Houston, who was
decidedly a man of fashion, she had proved herself to be of higher
calibre than her sister Augusta. But her father's refusal to her had
been not only very rough but very decided. She would not abandon her
Frank. Such an idea never for a moment crossed her mind. But what
step should she next take? Thinking over it during the whole of the
day she did at last form a plan. But she greatly feared that the plan
would not recommend itself to Mr. Frank Houston. She was not timid,
but he might be so. In spite of her father's anger and roughness she
would not doubt his ultimate generosity; but Frank might doubt it. If
Frank could be induced to come and carry her off from Merle Park and
marry her in some manner approved for such occasions, she would stand
the risk of getting the money afterwards. But she was greatly afraid
that the risk would be too much for Frank. She did not, however,
see any other scheme before her. As to waiting patiently till her
father's obdurate heart should be softened by the greater obduracy
of her own love, there was a tedium and a prolonged dulness in such
a prospect which were anything but attractive to her. Had it been
possible she wou