"I _am_ glad," exclaimed Nancy. "I have not heard from them for ages. Why now--is it not odd?--that Madame Carimon should mention the Peckhams last night, and I receive a letter from them this morning?" "I supposed it might be from London, with your remittance," said Mr. Fennel to his wife. "It is due, is it not?" "Oh, that came on Saturday, Edwin," she said, as she opened her letter. "Came on Saturday!" echoed Captain Fennel ungraciously, as if disputing the assertion. "By the afternoon post; you were at Drecques, you know." "The _money_ came? _Your_ money?" "Yes," said Nancy, who had stepped to the window to read her letter, for it was a dark day, and stood there with her back to the room. "And where is it?" demanded he. "I gave it to Lavinia. I always give it to her." Captain Fennel glared at his wife for a moment, then smoothed his face to its ordinary placidity, and turned to Lavinia. "Will you be good enough to hand over to me my wife's money, Miss Preen?" "No," she answered quietly. "I must trouble you to do so, when breakfast shall be finished." "I cannot," pursued Lavinia. "I have paid it away." "That I do not believe. I claim it from you in right of my wife; and I shall enforce the claim." "The money is Nancy's, not yours," said Lavinia. "In consequence of your having stopped her share last quarter in London, I was plunged here into debt and great inconvenience. Yesterday morning I went out to settle the debts--and it has taken the whole of her money to do it. That is the state of things, Captain Fennel." "I am in debt here myself," retorted he, but not angrily. "I owe money to my tailor and bootmaker; I owe an account at the chemist's; I want money in my pockets--and I must indeed have it." "Not from me," returned Lavinia. Edwin Fennel broke into a little access of temper. He dashed his serviette on the table, strode to the window, and roughly caught his wife by the arm. She cried out. "How dared you hand your money to any one but me?" he asked in a low voice of passion. "But how are we to live if I don't give it to Lavinia for the housekeeping?" returned Nancy, bursting into tears. "It takes all we have; her share and mine; every farthing of it." "Let my sister alone, Mr. Fennel," spoke up Lavinia with authority. "She is responsible for the debts we contract in this house, just as much as I am, and she must contribute her part to pay them. You ought to be aware that the expenses are now increased by nearly a third; I assure you I hardly like to face the difficulties I see before me." "Do you suppose I can stop in the place without some loose cash to keep me going?" he asked calmly. "Is that reasonable, Miss Lavinia?" "And do you suppose I can keep you and Ann here without her money to help me to do it?" she rejoined. "Perhaps the better plan will be for me to take up my abode elsewhere, and leave the house to you and Ann to do as you please in it."