"Yes. That L100 of Rugge's has been the making of me."

"I only wanted a capital just to start with!" He flung himself into a
chair, opened his pocket-book, and scrutinized its contents. "Guess,"
said he, suddenly, "on whose horse I won these two rouleaux? Lord
Montfort's! Ay, and I saw my lady!"

"So did I see her from this window. She did not look happy!"

"Not happy!--with such an equipage,--neatest turn-out I ever set eyes on;
not happy, indeed! I had half a mind to ride up to her carriage and
advance a claim to her gratitude."

"Gratitude? Oh, for your part in that miserable affair of which you told
me?"

"Not a miserable affair for her; but certainly I never got any good from
it. Trouble for nothing! /Basta!/ No use looking back."

"No use; but who can help it?" said Arabella Crane, sighing heavily;
then, as if eager to change the subject, she added abruptly, "Mr. Rugge
has been here twice this morning, highly excited the child will not act.
He says you are bound to make her do so!"

"Nonsense. That is his look-out. I see after children, indeed!"

MRS. CRANE (with a visible effort).--"Listen to me, Jasper Losely. I
have no reason to love that child, as you may suppose. But now that you
so desert her, I think I feel compassion for her; and when this morning I