‘But it is really mine,’ said Marie.

‘No, miss; it was never yours,’ said Melmotte, almost bursting out into anger, but restraining himself.  ’How could it become yours, Marie?  Did I ever make you a gift of it?’

‘But I know that it did become mine,—­legally.’

’By a quibble of law,—­yes; but not so as to give you any right to it.  I always draw the income.’

’But I could stop that, papa,—­and if I were married, of course it would be stopped.’

Then, quick as a flash of lightning, another idea occurred to Melmotte, who feared that he already began to see that this child of his might be stiff-necked.  ‘As we are thinking of your marriage,’ he said, &rsquo...