man of high degree was speaking of you to me most warmly a few days ago."
"Oh! you mean Lord Robert Elton. Tell him I am ruined, and see how warmly he would speak of me then! They are all alike, Mr. Twisden—all alike."
"No, they are not all alike. The duke and duchess are anxious for their son to marry, and he must marry money: that is true. But unless they approved of you———"
"They have never seen me!"
"They have heard much of you, and were anxious Lord Robert should know you, and judge for himself. He has done so. He said to me, 'I have never seen any girl who attracted me so much. If she had not a penny I should say the same; but I should know then it was impossible to make her my wife.' It is possible, and I mean to leave no stone unturned to enable me to succeed."
"You must not help him to turn that stone, Mr. Twisden. Lord Robert is not—never can be—the solution of my difficulty. I don't want to marry. If an angel were to descend in man's shape at this moment, I would not marry him!" she said vehemently.
The old lawyer smiled. "I should not expect an angel to be much in your line. But Lord Robert is not an angel. He is an upright and able man, sure to make his mark in public life, and well-calculated, as far as I can judge, to make a woman happy."
"Oh, I dare say! That depends on the woman. He wouldn't make me happy. No man ever will, Mr. Twisden. I am never going to fall in love, or fancy that I am in love, again. I should like to get away from
