Mr. Humpage had listened to the letter with a grim appreciation. 'You don't write a bad letter, Lightowler, I must say,' he remarked, with an irrepressible chuckle, 'but you are a little behind the day with your facts, ain't you?' 'What d'ye mean by behind the day?' demanded Uncle Solomon. 'Oh, Uncle Antony,' cried Mabel, '_you_ tell him--I can't!' It is much to be feared that Mr. Humpage was by no means sorry to be entrusted with such a charge. But if he was not naturally kinder hearted, he was more acquainted with the amenities of ordinary society than Mr. Lightowler, and some consideration for Mabel restrained him then from using his triumph as he might have done. He explained briefly the arrangement between Vincent and Mark as he understood it, and the manner in which it had lately been made known. When he had finished, Uncle Solomon stared stupidly from one to the other, and then, with a voice that had grown strangely thick, he said, 'I'll trouble you to say that all over again slowly, if you've no objection. My head began buzzing, and I couldn't follow it all.' Mr. Humpage complied, and when he finished for the second time, his hearer's face was purple and distorted, and Mabel pitied him from her own experience. 'Dear Mr. Lightowler,' she said, 'you mustn't blame Mark; he had no choice, he had _promised_.' 'Promised!' Uncle Solomon almost howled; 'what business had he got to make a promise like that? See what a fool he's made o' _me_--with that letter of mine in all the London papers! I heard those Manor House girls gigglin' and laughin' when they drove by the other day, and thought it was just because they were idjits.... I wish to God I'd let him starve as a City clerk all his days before I let him bring me to this. I've lived all this time and never been ridiclous till now, and he's done it. Ah! and that's not the only thing he's done either--he's swindled me, done me out o' my money as I've earned. I could 'ave him up at the Old Bailey for it--and I've a good mind to say I will, too. I'll----' 'Stop,' said Mabel, 'you have gone quite far enough. I know this is a great disappointment to you, but I am his wife--you have no right to say such things to me.'