Rosie slipped from her seat, and the Captain stood up, but the intruder had seen and gone, and their movements were too late. “The spy! the cat!” snapped Rosie, grown suddenly pale with anger and apprehension. “It's very fine to abuse the girl,” said the Captain; “but it was all through your infernal carelessness. Why didn't you lock the door?” “Oh, you're going to blame me! That's like a man. Perhaps you're in love with the cat. I s'pose you think she's pretty.” “I'd like to twist her neck, and yours too, for a fool. If any trouble comes you will be to blame.” “Say what you like, I don't care. There'll be trouble enough, you may be sure.” “Do you mean to say that she will dare to tell?” “Tell! She'll only be too glad of the chance. She'll tell everything to Miss Starbrow, and she hates me and hates you like poison. It would be very funny if she didn't tell.” He walked about the room fuming. “It will be as bad for you as for me,” he said. “No, it won't. I can get another place, I s'pose.” “Oh, yes; very fine, and be a wretched slavey all your life, if you like that. You know very well that I have promised you two hundred pounds the day I marry your mistress.” “Yes; because I'm not a fool, and you can't help yourself. Don't think _I_ want to marry you. Not me! Keep your love for Miss Starbrow, and much you'll get out of her!” “You idiot!” he began; but seeing that she was half sobbing he said no more, and continued walking about the room. Presently he came back to her. “It's no use quarrelling,” he said. “If anything can be done to get out of this infernal scrape it will only be by our acting together. Since this wretched Fan has been in the house, Miss Starbrow is harder than ever to get on with; and even if Fan holds her tongue about this--” “She won't hold her tongue.” “But even if she should, we'll never do any good while she has that girl to amuse herself with. You know perfectly well, Rosie, that if there is anyone I really love it is you; but then we've both of us got to do the best we can for ourselves. I shall love you just the same after I am married, and if you still should like me, why then, Rosie, we might be able to enjoy ourselves very well. But if Fan tells at once what she saw just now, then it will be all over with us--with you, at any rate.” “She won't tell at once--not while her mistress is in her tantrums. The little cat keeps out of her way then. Not to-day, and perhaps not to-morrow; and the day after I think Miss Starbrow's going to visit her friends at Croydon. That's what she said; and if she goes, she'll be out all day.”