What with the warmth and the sympathy, Mrs. Knox rather lost her head. Many of us are betrayed on occasion into doing the same. That is, she said more than she should have said. "You see, if Mina married, as I pointed out to Arnold, the money would no longer be under his control at all. It would be hers to do as she pleased with. She is a dear, good, generous girl, and would not scruple to let me have one or two hundred pounds. What would such a trifle be out of the whole seven thousand?" "Very true; nothing at all," cried the captain, toying with his handsome beard. "But no; Arnold will not hear of it: he answered me in a way that I should not like to repeat. He also said he should take care, if Mina did marry before she was of age, that her money was settled upon her; said it on purpose to thwart me." "Cruel!" aspirated the captain. "Some girls might be tempted to marry off-hand, and say nothing to him, if only to get her fortune out of his control. I don't say Mina would." "Miser! My dear madam, rely upon it that whenever Miss Mina does marry, her husband will join with her in letting you have as much money as you wish. I am sure it would be his pride and pleasure to do so." Was it an implied promise? meant to be so understood? Mrs. Knox took it for one. She came out of her dumps, and felt exalted to the seventh heaven. Meanwhile, Arnold Knox was with Lady Jenkins, to whom he had gone on quitting his step-mother. The old lady, up and dressed, sat in her dining-room. There appeared to be no change in her condition: drowsy, lethargic, gentle, yielding; imbecile, or not many shades removed from it. And yet, neither Dr. Knox nor his fellow-practitioner could see any cause to account for this. Of bodily illness she had none: except that she seemed feeble. "I wish you would tell me what it is you are taking," said Dr. Knox, bending over her and speaking in low, persuasive tones. "I fear that you are taking something that does you harm." Lady Jenkins looked up at him, apparently trying to consider. "I've not had anything since I took the physic," she said. "What physic?" "The bottles that Mr. Tamlyn sent me." "But that was when you were ill. Are you sure you have not taken anything else?--that you are not taking anything? Any"--he dropped his voice to a still lower key--"opiates? Laudanum, for instance?" Lady Jenkins shook her head. "I never took any sort of opiate in my life." "Then it is being given to her without her knowledge," mentally decided the doctor. "I hear you were at the next door last night, as gay as the best of them," he resumed aloud, changing his tone to a light one. "Ay. I put on my new bronze satin gown: Patty said I was to. Janet sang her pretty songs." "Did she? When are you coming to spend an evening with us? She will sing them again for you." "I should like to come--if I may." "If you may! There's nothing to prevent it. You are quite well enough." "There's Patty. We shall have to ask her whether I may."