’What do I care?  If you think I’m going to be afraid of Mother Van, you’re mistaken.  Let come what may, I’m not going to live under her thumb.’  So he lighted his cigar.

‘All right,’ said Musselboro, and he took up his pen and went to work at his book.

‘What is she coming her for this morning,’ asked Broughton.

‘To look after her money.  What should she come for?’

’She gets her interest.  I don’t suppose there’s better paid money in the City.’

‘She hasn’t got what was coming to her at Christmas yet.’

’And this is February.  What would she have?  She had better put her dirty money into the three per cents, if she is frightened at having to wait a week or two.’

‘Can she have it today?’

’What, the whole of it?  Of course she can’t.  You know that as well as I do.  She can have four hundred pounds, if she wants it.  But seeing all she gets out of the concern, she has no right to press for it in that way.  She is the——­old usurer I ever came across in my life.’

‘Of course she likes her money.’

’Likes her money!  By George she does; her own and anybody else’s that she can get hold of.  For a downright leech, recommend me always to a woman.  When a woman does go in for it, she is much more thorough than any man.’  Then Broughton turned over the little pages of his book, and Musselboro pondered over the big pages of his book, and there was silence for a quarter of an hour.

‘There’s something about nine hundred and fifteen pounds due to her,’ said Musselboro.

‘I daresay there is.’

’It would be a very good thing to let her have it if you’ve got it.  The whole of it this morning, I mean.’

‘If!  Yes, if!’ said Broughton.

‘I know there’s more than that at the bank.’

’And I’m to draw out every shilling that there is!  I’ll see Mother Van ——­ further first.  She can have 500 pounds if she likes it—­and the rest in a fortnight.  Or she can have my note-of-hand for it all at fourteen days.’

‘She won’t like that at all,’ said Musselboro.

’Then she must lump it.  I’m not going to bother myself about her.  I’ve pretty nearly as much money in it as she has, and we’re in a boat together.  If she comes here bothering, you’d better tell her so.’

‘You’ll see her yourself?’

’Not unless she comes within the next ten minutes.  I must go down to the court.  I said I’d be there by twelve.  I’ve got somebody I want to see.’

‘I’d stay if I were you.’

’Why should I stay for her?  If she thinks that I’m going to make myself her clerk, she’s mistaken.  It may be all very well for you, Mussy, but it won’t do for me.  I’m not dependent on her, and I don’t want to marry her daughter.’

‘It will simply end in her demanding to have her money back again.’