"Did you ever get blood from a stone?" asked the earl: and the careless apathy of his manner contrasted strongly with the earnestness of Mr. Grubb's. "There's no chance of your getting the money back until I am under here," stamping his foot on the ground, "and you know it: unless the Netherleigh estate falls in. I speak freely to you, Grubb, presuming on our long friendship. Come, don't turn crusty at last. You don't want the money: you are rich as Croesus, and you must wait. I wish my son had lived; we would have cut off the entail." "The debt must be liquidated," returned Mr. Grubb, after a pause of regret, given to poor Lord Denne. And he spoke so coldly and determinedly that Lord Acorn wheeled sharply round in his walk, and looked at him. "I don't know how the dickens it will be done, then. I suppose _you_ won't proceed to harsh measures, and bring a hornets' nest about my head." They faced one another, and a silence ensued. For once in his careless life, the good-looking face of Lord Acorn was troubled. "There is one way in which your lordship can repay the debt," resumed Mr. Grubb. "And it will not cost you money." "Ah!" laughed the earl, "how's that? If you mean by post-obit bonds, I'll sign a cart-load, if you like." Mr. Grubb approached the earl in a sort of nervous agitation. "Give me your youngest daughter, Lord Acorn," he breathed. "Let me woo and win her! I will take her in lieu of all." His lordship was considerably startled; the proud Chenevix blood rose, and dyed his forehead crimson. He had not been listening particularly, and he doubted whether he heard aright. In one respect he had not, for he thought the words had been your _eldest_ daughter. Against Francis Grubb personally, nothing could be said; but against his standing a great deal. Many years had gone by since Catherine Grant lost caste by marrying a "City man," but opinions had not changed, for it was yet long antecedent to these tolerant days. Men in trade, no matter how high the class of trade, were still kept at a distance by the upper orders--not looked upon as being of the same race. Therefore the demand was as a blow to Lord Acorn; and he dared not resent it as he would have liked to. _His_ daughter descend from her own rank, and become one with this trader! Was the world coming to an end? But as the two men stood gazing at one another, neither of them speaking, the earl began to revolve in his mind the pros of the matter, as well as the cons. Lady Grace was no longer young; she was growing thin and rather cross, for she had been before the world ten years, with no result. Would it be so bad a match for her? "I will settle an ample income upon her," spoke Mr. Grubb. "And your unpaid bonds--there are many of them, my lord--I will return into your hands: all of them. Thus your debt to me will be cancelled, and, so far as I am concerned, you are a free man again." "I cannot be that. I am at my wits' end now for two thousand pounds."