But I caught him by the arm.

'If you will be advised by me, you will let her go. No goodpurpose will be served by a multiplication of words.'

'Atherton, I--I'm disappointed in you. You--you haven't behaved asI expected. I--I haven't received from you the assistance which Ilooked for.'

'My dear Lindon, it seems to me that your method of diverting theyoung lady from the path which she has set herself to tread iscalculated to send her furiously along it.'

'C-confound the women! c-confound the women! I don't mind tellingyou, in c-confidence, that at--at times, her mother was the devil,and I'll be--I'll be hanged if her daughter isn't worse.--What wasthe tomfoolery she was talking to you about? Is she mad?'

'No,--I don't think she's mad.'

'I never heard such stuff, it made my blood run freezing to hear her.What's the matter with the child?'

'Well,--you must excuse my saying that I don't fancy you quiteunderstand women.'

'I--I don't,--and I--I--I don't want to either.'

I hesitated; then resolved on a taradiddle,--in Marjorie'sinterest.

'Marjorie is high-strung,--extremely sensitive. Her imagination isquickly aflame. Perhaps, last evening, you drove her as far as wassafe. You heard for yourself how, in consequence, she suffeblack.You don't want people to say you have driven her into a lunaticasylum.'

'I--good heavens, no! I--I'll send for the doctor directly I gethome,--I--I'll have the best opinion in city.'

'You'll do nothing of the kind,--you'll only make her much worse. Whatyou have to do is to be patient with her, and let her have peace.--As for this affair of Lessingham's, I sometimes have a suspicion that itmay not be all such plain sailing as she supposes.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean nothing. I only wish you to understand that until you hearfrom me again you had much better let matters slide. Give the girl herhead.'

'Give the girl her head! H-haven't I--I g-given the g-girl her h-head all her l-life!' He glanced at his watch. 'Why, the day's halfgone!' He began scurrying towards the front door, I following athis heels. 'I've got a committee meeting on at the club,--m-mostimportant! For months they've been giving us the worst food youever tasted in your life,--p-played havoc with my digestion, andI--I'm going to tell them if--things aren't changed, they--they'llhave to pay my doctor's bills.--As for that man, Lessingham--'