"No, dear--no," she cried agitatedly. "But pray--stop. What are you going to do?" "Put an end to it!" he cried fiercely. "My gal's going to be a lady; and do you think I'm going to let her be the talk of the town?" "Don't do anything rash, Dick, old chap," said Hopper, laying his hand upon the other's arm. "Rash!" cried Dick, bitterly. "I've been waiting for prosperity to come all my life; but, curse it, give me poverty again, if riches are to be like this." A complete change seemed to have come over the man, as he darted to the door and swung it open, just as there was the rush of rapid footsteps along the paved court, and he ran off in pursuit; while Mrs Shingle and Hopper followed. They met Dick at the entrance, coming back panting; and he motioned them into the house, and closed the door. "Mother," he panted, in a voice that trembled with grief and passion, "I've left it to you to train our girl while I earned--no, tried to earn--the bread; and it's been my pride through it all to hold up my head and point to our Jessie, and say to folks, `Look at her--she's not like the rest as go to the warehouse for work.'" "But, Dick--dear Dick, don't, pray don't judge hastily," cried Mrs Shingle. "I won't," said Dick hoarsely. "All I say is there was a man out there, and she was talking to him on the sly. Is that right, Hopper? I say, is that right?" The old man looked at him vacantly, and seemed not to hear. "Curse him! whoever he was," cried Dick hoarsely; "he was ashamed to meet me. It was Tom Fraser, I'll swear; and he's not the man I thought him. Here," he cried, swinging open the door that led upstairs, "Jessie--Jessie, come down! Hopper, old man, you're like one of us--you needn't go." The visitor, with a sorrowful look upon his face, had already reached the door, where he stood, leaning upon his stick, as Jessie slowly descended, looking very pale, and glancing anxiously from one to the other. Mrs Shingle was crossing--mother-like--to her child's side; but Dick motioned her back. "Stop there!" he said fiercely; and then, taking a step forward--"Jessie, you were talking to some one outer window just now?" She did not answer for a moment, but gazed at him in a frightened way. "I say you were talking to some one outer window?" "Yes, father," she faltered. "It was to Tom Fraser," he said, in a low, angry voice. "And he's a sneak." There was no answer. "I say it was--to Tom Fraser." "No, father, it was not," said Jessie, in a low clear voice. "Who was it, then?" cried Dick. There was no answer. "I say, who was it, then?" "It was to his brother Fred, father," said Jessie, almost in a whisper. But all the same Tom Fraser had stood at the entrance to the court, and been a witness of the scene. VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER EIGHT. AFTER A LAPSE.