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Heseemedannoyedbythequestion，butadmittedwithreluctancethathehadalittle。
“Well，“Icontinued，“itistheirmoneytheyareafter，isitnot？
Whynotgiveituptothem？“
“Ah！“repliedhe，shakinghishead，“Ihavetriedthatalready，Mr。
Cassilis；andalas！thatitshouldbeso，butitisbloodtheywant。“
“Huddlestone，that’salittlelessthanfair，“saidNorthmour。
“Youshouldmentionthatwhatyouofferedthemwasupwardoftwohundredthousandshort。Thedeficitisworthareference；itisforwhattheycallacoolsum，Frank。Then，yousee，thefellowsreasonintheirclearItalianway；anditseemstothem，asindeeditseemstome，thattheymayjustaswellhavebothwhilethey’reaboutit——moneyandbloodtogether，byGeorge，andnomoretroublefortheextrapleasure。“
“Isitinthepavilion？“Iasked。
“Itis；andIwishitwereinthebottomoftheseainstead，“saidNorthmour；andthensuddenly——“Whatareyoumakingfacesatmefor？“hecriedtoMr。Huddlestone，onwhomIhadunconsciouslyturnedmyback。“DoyouthinkCassiliswouldsellyou？“
Mr。Huddlestoneprotestedthatnothinghadbeenfurtherfromhismind。
“Itisagoodthing，“retortedNorthmourinhisugliestmanner。
“Youmightendbywearyingus。Whatwereyougoingtosay？“headded，turningtome。
“Iwasgoingtoproposeanoccupationfortheafternoon，“saidI。
“Letuscarrythatmoneyout，piecebypiece，andlayitdownbeforethepaviliondoor。Ifthecarbonaricome，why，it’stheirsatanyrate。“
“No，no，“criedMr。Huddlestone；“itdoesnot，itcannot，belongtothem！Itshouldbedistributedprorataamongallmycreditors。“
“Comenow，Huddlestone，“saidNorthmour，“noneofthat。“
“Well，butmydaughter，“moanedthewretchedman。“Yourdaughterwilldowellenough。Herearetwosuitors，CassilisandI，neitherofusbeggars，betweenwhomshehastochoose。Andasforyourself，tomakeanendofarguments，youhavenorighttoafarthing，and，unlessI’mmuchmistaken，youaregoingtodie。“
Itwascertainlyverycruellysaid；butMr。Huddlestonewasamanwhoattractedlittlesympathy；and，althoughIsawhimwinceandshudder，Imentallyindorsedtherebuke；nay，Iaddedacontributionofmyown。
“NorthmourandI，“Isaid，“arewillingenoughtohelpyoutosaveyourlife，butnottoescapewithstolenproperty。“
Hestruggledforawhilewithhimself，asthoughhewereonthepointofgivingwaytoanger，butprudencehadthebestofthecontroversy。
“Mydearboys，“hesaid，“dowithmeormymoneywhatyouwill。I
leaveallinyourhands。Letmecomposemyself。“
Andsowelefthim，gladlyenoughIamsure。
ThelastthatIsaw，hehadoncemoretakenuphisgreatBible，andwithtremuloushandswasadjustinghisspectaclestoread。
VII
Therecollectionofthatafternoonwillalwaysbegravenonmymind。NorthmourandIwerepersuadedthatanattackwasimminent；
andifithadbeeninourpowertoalterinanywaytheorderofevents，thatpowerwouldhavebeenusedtoprecipitateratherthandelaythecriticalmoment。Theworstwastobeanticipated；yetwecouldconceivenoextremitysomiserableasthesuspensewewerenowsuffering。Ihaveneverbeenaneager，thoughalwaysagreat，reader；butIneverknewbookssoinsipidasthosewhichItookupandcastasidethatafternooninthepavilion。Eventalkbecameimpossible，asthehourswenton。Oneorotherwasalwayslisteningforsomesound，orpeeringfromanupstairswindowoverthelinks。Andyetnotasignindicatedthepresenceofourfoes。
Wedebatedoverandoveragainmyproposalwithregardtothemoney；andhadwebeenincompletepossessionofourfaculties，I
amsureweshouldhavecondemneditasunwise；butwewereflusteredwithalarm，graspedatastraw，anddetermined，althoughitwasasmuchasadvertisingMr。Huddlestone’spresenceinthepavilion，tocarrymyproposalintoeffect。
Thesumwaspartinspecie，partinbankpaper，andpartincircularnotespayabletothenameofJamesGregory。Wetookitout，countedit，incloseditoncemoreinadispatchboxbelongingtoNorthmour，andpreparedaletterinItalianwhichhetiedtothehandle。Itwassignedbybothofusunderoath，
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