'By Jove, there's a chance here!' said Briscoe. 'Damn it, man, banish your dreams, and do the thing as a downright piece of the finest villainy ever perpetrated.' 'I haven't the least objection, my dear Briscoe, that you should be a villain. There's not one, at present, in the work, and if you choose, still collaborating with me, to adopt such a role, I shall be very glad indeed.' 'I'll do it,' said Briscoe, rising. 'I'll go off to Glasgow and prepare the whole thing for to-morrow early.' 'The last train from Greenock left some time ago.' 'What! is it so late as that?' 'Yes; but you can go off to-morrow before breakfast.' 'Very well. But we're going to do this, mind! No shamming--no artistic flourishes--upright, downright villainy!' 'On your part, certainly.' 'And I'm to marry Muriel?' 'Oh, you must see that is impossible. The girl will fight to the death against it. Besides, it would be thoroughly inartistic. No, no. My intention is to bring about an elopement; and then to discover that you are Frank's father. You see? You're old enough. He's only twenty-two, and you're over forty. The invention of antecedents and the getting up evidence will be most engrossing. Of course I'll intercept these young people, and drive them to the very last resource. It will do them any amount of good.' Briscoe put up his hand warningly, and Lee turned his head and saw Clacher standing behind him. 'Ah! my good friend,' he said, 'have you had enough?' 'Ay,' said Clacher. 'Do you remember what it is you want to do "Englified"?' 'No--yet.' 'Do you think you'll remember soon?' 'Mebbe, if ye'll let me alone, and gie me some mair drink. Whusky.' 'Certainly,' said Lee, rising. 'You can have this room to yourself, and I shall send you whiskey.' 'I think I'll go to bed,' said Briscoe. 'I'm very tired; and I'll have an early start to-morrow.' 'Come out and smoke a cigar with me first,' said Lee. And then in a whisper, 'I want you to help me. They may arrive any moment.' 'Of course,' replied Briscoe, in the same tone, clenching his fists. 'I forgot that.' So Clacher was left with a decanter of whiskey; and as soon as he was alone he pulled from his breast-pocket a dirty letter, which he read and re-read, and thought over and got madder about: and he always took the other glass of whiskey, muttering to himself, 'I canna' mind, I canna' mind.' CHAPTER IX DEMPSTER APOLOGISES While Briscoe was being sobered in the library a remarkable scene transacted itself in the dining-room between Miss Jane and Dempster. The outraged lady settled herself in an easy chair with a book; but the offender entered before she had time to read six lines. He approached her on tip-toe, and, a spring seeming to give way somewhere within him, he came down plump on one knee, as if he had been a puppet, and burst out woefully 'Eh--ah!' like an escape of saw-dust. Miss Jane ignored him, and pressed open her book, which was new and stiff.