“She will know all about that already.”

“But I will tell her.  It will be something to say, at any rate—­and that, perhaps, will be the difficulty.”

“Just so!  I didn’t look at it in that light before.”

“And am I to propose it to her first?”

“Well; I don’t know.  Perhaps as you are so clever, it might be as well.”

“And at once?”

“Yes, certainly; at once.  You see, Madam Gordeloup, there may be so many buzzing about her.”

“Exactly; and some of them perhaps will have more than twenty pounds handy.  Some will buzz better than that.”

“Of course I didn’t mean that for anything more than just a little compliment to begin with.”

“Oh, ah; just a little compliment for beginning.  And when will it be making a progress and going on?”

“Making a progress!”

“Yes; when will the compliment become a little bigger?  Twenty pounds!  Oh! it’s just for a few gloves, you know; nothing more.”

“Nothing more than that, of course,” said poor Archie.

“Well; when will the compliment grow bigger?  Let me see.  Julie has seven thousands of pounds, what you call, per annum.  And have you seen that beautiful park?  Oh!  And if you can make her to look at the moon with her hair down—­oh!  When will that compliment grow bigger?  Twenty pounds!  I am ashamed, you know.”

“When will you see her, Madam Gordeloup?”

“See her!  I see her every day, always.  I will be there to-day, and to-morrow, and the next day.”

“You might say a word then at once—­this afternoon.”

“What! for twenty pounds!  Seven thousands of pounds per annum; and you give me twenty pounds!  Fie, Captain Clavering.  It is only just for me to speak to you—­this!  That is all.  Come; when will you bring me fifty?”

“By George—­fifty!”

“Yes; fifty; for another beginning.  What; seven thousands of pounds per annum, and make difficulty for fifty pounds!  You have a handy way with your glove.  Will you come with fifty pounds to-morrow?” Archie, with the drops of perspiration standing on his brow, and now desirous of getting out again into the street, promised that he would come again on the following day with the required sum.

“Just for another beginning!  And now, good-morning, Captain Clavering.  I will do my possible with Julie.  Julie is very fond of me, and I think you have been right in coming here.  But twenty pounds was too little, even for a beginning.”  Mercenary wretch; hungry, greedy, ill-conditioned woman—­altogether of the harpy breed!  As Archie Clavering looked into her gray eyes, and saw there her greed and her hunger, his flesh crept upon his bones.  Should he not succeed with Julia, how much would this excellent lady cost him?