ted by the young man's manner, that he could not bring himself
to be just. "Am I to understand that you intend to marry on something
under three hundred a year?"

Hamel paused a moment before he made his reply. "How am I to answer
such a question," he said, at last, "seeing that Miss Dormer is in
your hands, and that you are unlikely to be influenced by anything
that I may say?"

"I shall be very much influenced," said Sir Thomas.

"Were her father still alive, I think we should have put our heads
together, and between us decided on what might have been best for
Lucy's happiness."

"Do you think that I'm indifferent to her happiness?" demanded Sir
Thomas.

"I should have suggested to him," continued Hamel, not noticing the
last question, "that she should remain in her own home till I could
make one for her worthy of her acceptance. And then we should have
arranged among us what would have been best for her happiness. I
cannot do this with you. If you tell her to-morrow that she must give
up either your protection or her engagement with me, then she must
come to me, and make the best of all the little that I can do for
her."

"Who says that I'm going to turn her out?" said Sir Thomas, rising
angrily from his chair.

"I do not think that any one has said this of you."

"Then why do you throw it in my teeth?"

"Because your wife has threatened it."

Then Sir Thomas boiled over in his anger. "No one has threatened it.
It is untrue. You are guilty both of impertinence and untruth in
saying so." Here Hamel rose from his chair, and took up his hat.
"Stop, young man, and hear what I have to say to you. I have done
nothing but good to my niece."

"Nevertheless, it is true, Sir Thomas, that she has been told by your
wife that she must either abandon me or the protection of your roof.
I find no fault with Lady Tringle for saying so. It may have been the
natural expression of a judicious opinion. But when you ask after my
intentions in reference to your niece I am bound to tell you that I
propose to subject her to the undoubted inconveniences of my poor
home, simply because I find her to be threatened with the loss of
another."

"She has not been threatened, Sir."

"You had better ask your wife, Sir Thomas. And, if you find that what
I have said is true, I think you will own that I have been obliged to
explain myself as I have done. As you have told me to my face that
I have been guilty of untruth, I shall now le