“No, not a daughter,” said Mr. Prosper, still wondering at the thorough knowledge of the business in hand displayed by the lady.

“Oh, if it were to be a son, that would be all right, and then my money would go to the younger children, divided equally between the boys and girls.”  Mr. Prosper shook his head as he found himself suddenly provided with so plentiful and thriving a family.  “That, I suppose, would be the way of the settlement, together with a certain income out of Buston set apart for my use.  It ought to be considered that I should have to provide a house to live in.  This belongs to my brother, and I pay him forty pounds a year for it.  It should be something better than this.”

“My dear Miss Thoroughbung, the lawyer would do all that.”  There did come upon him an idea that she, with her aptitude for business, would not be altogether a bad helpmate.

“The lawyers are very well; but in a transaction of this kind there is nothing like the principals understanding each other.  Young women are always robbed when their money is left altogether to the gentlemen.”

“Robbed!”

“Don’t suppose I mean you, Mr. Prosper; and the robbery I mean is not considered disgraceful at all.  The gentlemen I mean are the fathers and the brothers, and the uncles and the lawyers.  And they intend to do right after the custom of their fathers and uncles.  But woman’s rights are coming up.”

“I hate woman’s rights.”

“Nevertheless they are coming up.  A young woman doesn’t get taken in as she used to do.  I don’t mean any offence, you know.”  This was said in reply to Mr. Prosper’s repeated frown.  “Since woman’s rights have come up a young woman is better able to fight her own battle.”

Mr. Prosper was willing to admit that Miss Thoroughbung was fair, but she was fat also, and at least forty.  There was hardly need that she should refer so often to her own unprotected youth.  “I should like to have the spending of my own income, Mr. Prosper;—­that’s a fact.”

“Oh, indeed!”

“Yes, I should.  I shouldn’t care to have to go to my husband if I wanted to buy a pair of stockings.”

“An allowance, I should say.”

“And that should be my own income.”

“Nothing to go to the house?”

“Oh yes.  There might be certain things which I might agree to pay for.  A pair of ponies I should like.”

“I always keep a carriage and a pair of horses.”

“But the ponies would be my lookout.  I shouldn’t mind paying for my own maid, and the champagne, and my clothes, of course, and the fish-monger’s bill.  There would be Miss Tickle, too.  You said you would like Miss Tickle.  I should have to pay for her.  That would be about enough, I think.”

Mr. Prosper was thoroughly disgusted; but when he left Marmaduke Lodge he had not said a word as to withdrawing from his offer.  She declared that she would put her terms into writing and give them to her lawyer, who would communicate with Mr. Grey.