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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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978 and turned his head away. The device, however, so far as it was a device for causing Madeline to interfere, was successful. She rose, and advancing towards Nicholas paused half-way, and stretched out her hand as expecting a letter. ‘Madeline,’ said her father impatiently, ‘my love, what are you doing?’ ‘Miss Bray expects an inclosure perhaps,’ said Nicholas, speaking very distinctly, and with an emphasis she could scarcely misunderstand. ‘My employer is absent from England, or I should have brought a letter with me. I hope she will give me time--a little time. I ask a very little time.’ ‘If that is all you come about, sir,’ said Mr Bray, ‘you may make yourself easy on that head. Madeline, my dear, I didn’t know this person was in your debt?’ ‘A--a trifle, I believe,’ returned Madeline, faintly. ‘I suppose you think now,’ said Bray, wheeling his chair round and confronting Nicholas, ‘that, but for such pitiful sums as you bring here, because my daughter has chosen to employ her time as she has, we should starve?’ ‘I have not thought about it,’ returned Nicholas. ‘You have not thought about it!’ sneered the invalid. ‘You know you have thought about it, and have thought that, and think so every time you come here. Do you suppose, young man, that I don’t know what little purse-proud tradesmen are, when, through some fortunate circumstances, they get the upper hand for a brief day--or think they get the upper hand--of a gentleman?’ ‘My business,’ said Nicholas respectfully, ‘is with a lady.’ ‘With a gentleman’s daughter, sir,’ returned the sick man, ‘and |
