"Why so, sir? You are not my son." "No, but I'm my mother's." "Naturally," said Garstang, with a supercilious smile. "You need not sneer, sir. If you hadnt deluded my poor mother into marrying you I should have been well off." "Your mother had a right to do as she pleased, sir. Where have you been?" "Away from the office." "I know that. Where to?" "Where I liked," said the young man sulkily, "I'm not a child." "No, and this conduct has become unbearable. It is time you went away for good. What do you say to going to Australia with your passage paid and a hundred pounds to start you?" "'Tisn't good enough." "Then you had better execute your old threat and enlist in a cavalry regiment. I promise you that I will not buy you out." "Thank you, but it isn't good enough." "What are you going to do then?" "Never mind." Garstang looked up at him sharply, this time from outside the finger arch. "Don't provoke me, Harry Dasent, for your own sake. What are you going to do?" "Get married." "Indeed? Well, that's sensible. But are there not enough pauper children for the parish to keep?" "Yes, but I am not going to marry a pauper. You have my money and will not disgorge it, so I must have somebody's else." "Indeed! Then you are going to look out for a lady with money?" "No. I have already found one." "Anyone I know?" "Oh, yes." "Who is it, pray?" "Katherine Wilton." Garstang's eyes contracted, and he gazed at his stepson for some moments in silence. Then a contemptuous smile dawned upon his lip. "I was not aware that you were so ambitious, Harry. But the lady?" "Oh, that will be all right." "Indeed! May I ask when you saw her last?" "Yesterday evening at dinner." "You have been down to Northwood?" "Yes; I was there two days." "Did your Uncle Wilton invite you down?" "No, but Claud did, for a bit of shooting." "Humph!" ejaculated Garstang thoughtfully, and the young man stood gazing at him intently. Then his manner changed, and he took one of the easy chairs, drew it forward, and seated himself, to sit leaning forward, and began speaking confidentially. "Look here, step-father," he half-whispered, "I've been down there twice. I suspected it the first time; yesterday I was certain. They're playing a deep game there." "Indeed?" "Yes. I saw through it at once. They're running Claud for the stakes." "Please explain yourself, my good fellow; I do not understand racing slang." "Well, then, they mean Claud to marry Kate, and I'm not going to stand by and see that done." "By the way, I thought Claud was your confidential friend." "So he is, up to a point; but it's every man for himself in a case like this. I'm in the race myself, and I mean to marry Kate Wilton myself. It's too good a prize to let slip." "And does the lady incline to my stepson's addresses?"