cheeks the light of scorn and ire had fled from her eyes perhaps if he had left her to herself she would have done all he asked of her but the � that fatal weakness of the pulpit � compelled the to add something more � yoa will do me the justice to say that i have from all threat or menace i have put the matter on the ground of good feeling solely but of course there are material issues the immediate of your declining to give richard up would be that your mother and her husband would have to leave au possible channels of communication between this lad and you would have at once to be guarded against yon would therefore be the cause � and your own conscience will tell you whether the innocent cause � of the breaking up of your home and the ruin of your family for if mr should turn off your step father who would employ him the girl made a scornful gesture with her hand i think i could him the he receives as a game keeper mr if that were all the s last mine had failed and it was plain had done damage to the cause of the engineer but it is not all it is a very small consideration compared wit i others i know it said she but it is at all events disposed of what does dick say dick you have no right to call him dick exclaimed the with and what does it matter what dick says he is a boy � a child whereas you if not his senior in years are a woman grown i am afraid i must needs alter my opinion of you if you persist in using your influence to his hurt the law itself as i have said him � i mean his marriage without parental consent for the next four years do you intend throughout that time to his poor father and the boy himself at a period when it is essential that his mind should be given to study i intend to take no advantage of any one mr answered the girl steadily i wish to be fair and honest but also true to richard i will not him as you call it by going to but you will perhaps go to where yoa have met him already and caused a public scandal observed the severely you will be surprised to hear perhaps that mr pole has declined to keep him as his guest at because of your late interview what had that to do with him inquired the girl sharply well simply this it only shows how ignorant yon are of bow the world regards such matters the ladies of the family as i understand resented your meeting with richard at the of course you meant no harm but you see harm has been done i know it was not your fault yet a grievous has been committed rose from her seat and drawing herself up to her full height regarded her companion with a look of fixed and fiery scorn i care nothing for mr pole or his ladies nor for you nor for mr she said but i do care for richard if he wishes to give me back my � for it s true that we are engaged to one another � let him do so i will make no appeal against it but i must hear it from his own lips or read it in his own hand let mr pole and his ladies be ashamed of me if they will th� k l j s less black than we re painted one moment you arc permitting passion to get the better of yoa listen to reason it is absolutely certain that a marriage bet richard and yourself can never take place it is the mere dream of two children but since he regards yon with affection and you it in honesty and honor we acknowledge the bond if you were dead for example yon would be dear to us because richard loved you and you are dead believe me so far as any possibility of your becoming his wife is concerned i don t know what you mean sir said coldly i only know that i am at present alive the knew what he meant quite well only felt a natural embarrassment in expressing it still it had to be expressed for it was the last arrow in his quiver i mean he said supposing you to act generously and in this matter that mr will consider himself under a heavy obligation to you and whatever assistance you may for the of any calling you may have in view or for any other purpose will be given you now and always without then you have come here to bribe me sir cried the girl with concentrated passion he held his hand up in remonstrance but she it away with scorn that is what it comes to say what you will you are a clergyman but mr has sent you to me as a lawyer you may tell him that you have failed in your errand i have no more to say either to him or you gk od sir and with that she withdrew into the room from which she had come out and and locked the door behind her if s exit from the s presence had been a little � especially as respects the of the door � it had been undoubtedly effective she had put a summary end to the conference for though mr would have stooped to a good deal in hopes of recovering his lost ground he could not stoop to urge a new stream of argument through a he felt himself and in such few moves that it resembled mate whatever respect however he might have entertained for his late s int had been gained 