Page:Elizabeth's Pretenders.djvu/119

106 to do my best by Anthony's child, and this is what it comes to! I must say it is deuced hard on me and my wife, who was as kind to the girl"

"Well, well, Shaw, we won't talk about that. Think how much harder it would be if this marriage, which you encouraged, had taken place, and that your niece came to you and said, 'My life is ruined, my future destroyed. I hate and despise the man whom you persuaded me to marry.' Now she is free—free to make other ties, and to be eventually, I hope, a happy woman. That is the main thing. This tantrum of hers will pass off. It will come all right in time, if you will not be in a hurry. At present her only idea is to cut herself adrift, and to live where it is never suspected that she has a large fortune."

"Well," sighed his visitor heavily once more, as he rose from his chair, "I suppose there is nothing else to be done."

"Have her maid's box packed and sent here when you return home. I will see that she gets it. That is all."

They shook hands, and after a few more unimportant words, Shaw departed. In the outer office George Daintree was at his desk, apparently absorbed in accounts, but he sprang up with a genial smile to open the door for his uncle's client.

Two days later Joshua Twisden was taken to Hampstead, and a certain amount of authority was given to George to interview persons who called on the days that his uncle was absent. Should anything of importance require Mr. Twisden's decision, George was to drive up in the evening to Hampstead. At all events, he would