"Have you? All right; go ahead."

"I--I am so very much afraid I shall offend you."

The young man laughed.

"Not very likely. I can take a good deal from you."

She stood with her hands on the back of the chair, and as he looked
at her, Hilliard saw her pale cheeks grow warm.

"It'll seem very strange to you, Maurice."

"Nothing will seem strange after an adventure I've had this
afternoon. You shall hear about it presently."

"Tell me your story first."

"That's like a woman. All right, I'll tell you. I met that scoundrel
Dengate, and--he's paid me the money he owed my father."

"He has _paid_ it? Oh! really?"

"See, here's a cheque, and I think it likely I can turn it into
cash. The blackguard has been doing well at Liverpool. I'm not quite
sure that I understand the reptile, but he seems to have given me
this because I abused him. I hurt his vanity, and he couldn't resist
the temptation to astonish me. He thinks I shall go about
proclaiming him a noble fellow. Four hundred and thirty-six pounds;
there it is."