decided Susan must hear no more from her lover, and that Fielding must
not return. By this time, old Merton was heavily in debt to Meadows, and
saw escape from bankruptcy only in Meadows becoming his son-in-law,
while Susan was kindly disposed to Meadows because he said nothing of
love, and was willing to talk about Australia.

Meadows confided his plan to Peter Crawley.

"My plan has two hands; I must be one, you the other. _I_ work thus: I
stop all letters from him to her. Presently comes a letter from
Australia telling how George Fielding has made his fortune and married a
girl out there. She won't believe it at first, perhaps, but when she
gets no more letters from him she will. Of course, I shall never mention
his name, but I make one of my tools hang gaol over old Merton. Susan
thinks George married. I strike upon her pique and her father's
distress. I ask him for his daughter; offer to pay my father-in-law's
debts and start him afresh. Susan likes me already. She will say no,
perhaps, three or four times, but the fifth she will say yes. Crawley,
the day that John and Susan Meadows walk out of church man and wife I
put a thousand pounds into your hand and set you up in any business you
like; in any honest business, that is. But suppose, Crawley, while I am
working, this George Fielding were to come home with money in both
pockets?"

"He would kick it all down in a moment."

"Crawley, George Fielding must not come back this year with a thousand
pounds. That paper will prevent him; it is a paper of instructions. My
very brains lie in that paper; put it in your pocket. You are going a
journey, and you will draw on me for one hundred pounds per month."