"_Your_ friends would not like Mr. Mortomley to stop," said Mr. Forde after a pause, facing round on Dolly. "I don't think, really, they would mind in the least," she replied, meaning to imply they would not understand what stopping meant. "And that is friendship!" exclaimed Mr. Forde, apostrophising in vacancy. At that precise moment Mrs. Mortomley could only have defined friendship as meaning some person or thing who should rid her for ever of the presence of Messrs. Forde and Kleinwort, and she deemed it prudent to refrain from doing so. Mr. Forde's exclamation, therefore, elicited no comment. When Rupert reappeared, he came tray in one hand, accounts in the other. After pouring out a glass of water for Dolly, who drank it like one who was passing through a desert, he handed a strip of paper to Mr. Kleinwort. "If those were satisfied," he said calmly, "we should have a similar list within a fortnight. The fact that Mr. Mortomley is in difficulties has got wind, and every one to whom he owes money is pressing or will press." "You hear that Kleinwort?" remarked Mr. Forde. "Yes, yes, I hear well enough," was the answer, uttered somewhat irritably. "I am not yet so old greybeard my ears are no longer of no use." "May I ask if Mr. Kleinwort is here as a witness?" inquired Rupert. "Because if he is I should like to make a statement." "We don't want any more of your statements, my fine fellow," retorted Mr. Forde; "we have already had too many of them." "But _I_ wish to say something, and I will say it," here interposed Mrs. Mortomley. "Any person who could possibly imagine we should have endured what we have endured had we been possessed of the means of ridding ourselves of the creatures who have made this house worse than any prison, must be crazy." "Dear, dear lady, now be not hasty," entreated Mr. Kleinwort, whilst Mr. Forde thundered out, "I suppose you will try next to make me believe _you_ have no money." "I shall try to do nothing of the kind," she replied; "but it is useless to us in our extremity. My trustee is now in Italy, but before he went he said he would not allow another shilling to be advanced into the business, and that if he had known my husband's affairs were in so desperate a state, he would never have given his sanction to any of the principal being used." "He said that, did he?" commented Mr. Forde gloomily. "Yes; and I wish to say _you_ had a couple of thousand of Mrs. Mortomley's money," supplemented Rupert. "Mr. Kleinwort, do you hear that?" Before any one could reply the door flew open, and Lenore came headlong into the room exclaiming, "Mamma! my mamma!" At the sight of visitors she paused for a moment, then went straight up to Mr. Forde, whom she knew, and held out her hand as she had been taught to do. He took it as he might the fang of a serpent, and gave it back to her at once.