“Well, if you must know,” said he, fiercely, “I want it to pay a debt; I’ve been owing Dick Percival a dollar or so for several weeks, and last night he won from me again, and he said if I didn’t pay up he’d report me to papa, or Horace, and get the money from them; and I got off only by promising to let him have the full amount to-day; but my pocket money’s all gone, and I can’t get anything out of mamma, because she told me the last time I went to her, that she couldn’t give me any more without papa finding out all about it.  So you see there is nobody to help me but you, Elsie, for there’s never any use in asking my sisters; they never have a cent to spare!  Now be a good, obliging girl; come and let me have the money.”

“Oh!  Arthur, you’ve been gambling; how could you do so?” she exclaimed with a horrified look.  “It is so very wicked! you’ll go to ruin, Arthur, if you keep on in such bad ways; do go to grandpa and tell him all about it, and promise never to do so again, and I am sure he will forgive you, and pay your debts, and then you will feel a great deal happier.”

“Tell papa, indeed; never!  I’d die first!  Elsie, you must lend me the money,” he said, seizing her by the wrist.

“Let go of me, Arthur,” she said, trying to free herself from his grasp.  “You are stronger than I am, but you know if you hurt me, papa will be sure to find it out.”

He threw her hand from him with a violence that made her stagger, and catch at the furniture to save herself from falling.

“Will you give me the money then?” he asked angrily.

“If I should do so, I would have to put it down in my expense book, and tell papa all about it, because he does not allow me to spend one cent without telling him just what it went for; and that would be much worse for you, Arthur, than to go and confess it yourself—­a great deal worse, I am sure.”

“You could manage it well enough, if you wanted to,” said he, sullenly; “it would be an easy matter to add a few yards to the flannel, and a few pounds to the tobacco that you bought so much of for the old servants.  Just give me your book, and I’ll fix it in a minute, and he’ll never find it out.”

“Arthur!” she exclaimed, “I could never do such a wicked thing!  I would not deceive papa so for any money; and even if I did he would be sure to find it out.”

Some one tried the door.

Arthur put his hand on the lock; then, turning toward Elsie again, for an instant, shook his fist in her face, muttering, with an oath, that he would be revenged, and make her sorry for her refusal to the last day of her life.  He then opened the door and went out, leaving poor Elsie pale, and trembling like a leaf.

The person, whoever it was, that had tried the door had gone away again, and Elsie had a few moments alone to recover herself, before Chloe came to tell her that her father could not have her with him that morning, as a gentleman had called on business.