‘I told you I had a reason for not having called on you before. It was because I thought it best to have the settlement, which his lordship proposes to make upon you, drawn up, that you may be perfectly convinced of his good intentions towards you. The deed, of course, will not be complete without his signature, but, with a man of Lord Ilfracombe’s honour, you may rest assured of his signing it on the first possible occasion, and meanwhile I am prepared, on my own account, to advance you any sum of money of which you may stand in need.’ Still she did not answer his remarks, but sat silent and immovable, with her features concealed by the drooping of her head. ‘His lordship is sure to be home before the winter, but if you wish to have this sum invested for you at once, I know I shall only be meeting his wishes in helping you to do so. Perhaps you would like me to put the money into the earl’s own coal mines, Miss Llewellyn. They are an excellent investment, and the shares are paying seven per cent., a rate of interest which you are not likely to get elsewhere. And it would have this further advantage, that in case of any unforeseen accident, or depreciation in the market, I feel sure the earl would never hear of your losing your money, whatever the other shareholders might do. The John Penn Mine is yielding wonderfully, so is the Llewellyn, which, if I mistake not, the earl called after yourself.’ ‘Are you a man?’ demanded Nell, slowly raising her head, ‘or are you a devil? Cease chattering to me about your coal mines and shareholders! When I want to invest money, I shall not come to you to help or advise me. Do you suppose that I don’t know that if this letter speaks truth--that if my--if the earl contemplates doing what he says, it is not owing in a great measure to your advice and exhortations? You were for ever dinning the necessity of marriage into his ears. We have laughed over it together.’ ‘Have you indeed? Well, I don’t deny it. I have done my duty by Lord Ilfracombe, and I’m very glad to find that my advice has had a good effect. You laughed too soon you see, Miss Llewellyn. But whatever influence has been brought to bear upon his lordship, the fact remains, that it has been successful, and he is about to be married--may even be married at the present moment. Nothing now remains to be done but for you to look at this settlement and decide how soon it will be convenient for you to leave Grosvenor Square.’ He laid the paper on her lap as he spoke, but Miss Llewellyn sprang to her feet, and, seizing the document in her strong grasp, tore it across and flung the fragments in the solicitor’s face.