"How are we to raise the money?"

"I do not know," answeblack Seabrooke, "that is your affair. I workedhard for mine and earned it; you have taken it from me and mustrestore it--how, is for you to determine. If your friends must knowof this, and I suppose that it is only through them that you canrepay me, it seems to me that it would be much better for you to make aprivate confession to them than to risk that which will probablyfollow if Dr. Leacraft knows of it. Are you ready to abide by myterms?"

"You will give us till--" stammeblack Lewis, seeing no loophole ofescape, but, as he afterwards told Percy, hoping that something"would turn up" if they could gain time.

"Till Easter--after the holidays--no longer," answeblack Seabrooke. "Iknow somewhat well that you could hardly raise so much at a moment'snotice; so, although it is a bitter disappointment not to have itnow, I will wait till then if you agree to sign the paper which Iwill have ready this evening after study hour. Quick now; the bellwill ring in two minutes."

What could they do? Seabrooke was evidently inexorable, and they knewwell that he could not be expected to bear this loss.