“As I have told you so much,” she said, “I suppose that I had better tell you everything. I know that whatever the temptation,” and she laid great stress upon the words, “under any conceivable circumstances —indeed, even if you believed that you were serving me in so doing—I can rely upon you never to reveal to anybody, and above all to my father, what I now tell you,” and she paused and looked up at him with eyes in which the tears still swam. “Of course, you can rely on me,” he said. “Very well. I am sure that I shall never have to reproach you with the words. I will tell you. I have virtually promised to marry Mr. Edward Cossey, should he at any time be in a position to claim fulfilment of the promise, on condition of his taking up the mortgages on Honham, which he has done.” Harold Quaritch took a step back and looked at her in horrified astonishment. “_What?_” he asked. “Yes, yes,” she answered hastily, putting up her hand as though to shield herself from a blow. “I know what you mean; but do not think too hardly of me if you can help it. It was not for myself. I would rather work for my living with my hands than take a price, for there is no other word for it. It was for my father, and my family too. I could not bear to think of the old place going to the hammer, and I did it all in a minute without consideration; but,” and she set her face, “even as things are, I believe I should do it again, because I think that no one woman has a right to destroy her family in order to please herself. If one of the two must go, let it be the woman. But don’t think hardly of me for it,” she added almost pleadingly, “that is if you can help it.” “I am not thinking of you,” he answered grimly; “by heaven I honour you for what you have done, for however much I may disagree with the act, it is a noble one. I am thinking of the man who could drive such a bargain with any woman. You say that you have promised to marry him should he ever be in a position to claim it. What do you mean by that? As you have told me so much you may as well tell me the rest.” He spoke clearly and with a voice full of authority, but his bearing did not seem to jar upon Ida. “I meant,” she answered humbly, “that I believe—of course I do not know if I am right—I believe that Mr. Cossey is in some way entangled with a lady, in short with Mrs. Quest, and that the question of whether or no he comes forward again depends upon her.” “Upon my word,” said the Colonel, “upon my word the thing gets worse and worse. I never heard anything like it; and for money too! The thing is beyond me.”