'Why, my dear Scholar--my dear daughter.' Mr. Edmund Gray was moved himself almost to tears at this unexpected burst of feeling. 'As if there was anything I would not do for you if I could. I, who have never loved any woman before, love one now. She is my daughter--my grandchild.--So your brother will be helped by this little reminiscence--will he? Actually, your brother! I wonder if there is anything more that I could remember for you in this uneventful life of mine.' 'Oh no!--that would be too much to hope. Yet there is a chance--just a chance. I wonder if I may tell you. There is still time before us. If we are at the Hall by six we shall do very well. It is no more than half-past four. Shall I tell you the trouble? Oh! But it is a shame. And you with this great work laid upon you! No--no--I must not.' Oh! Delilah! oh! Circe! for she looked as if, in spite of her unwilling words, she wanted to tell it very badly indeed. 'Nay, my dear. You must, and you shall.--What? You are in trouble, and you will not tell me what it is. You--my Scholar--my clear-eyed disciple, who can see what these dull creatures of clay around us can never understand--you are in trouble, and you hesitate to tell me?--Fie! fie! Speak now. Tell me all.' 'I have told you that I have a lover, and that I am engaged to be married.' 'Yes--yes. His name, too, you have told me. It is George--George Austin. There were Austins once--I seem to remember--but that does not matter.' 'We are to be married on Wednesday.' 'So soon? But you have promised that I shall not lose my pupil.' 'No, dear Master. As soon as we come back from our holiday, I will come and see you again and learn of you. Do not doubt that. I can never again let you go out of my life. I shall bring my--my husband with me.' 'If I thought your marriage would take you away from me, I should be the most unhappy of men. But I will spare you for a month--two months--as long as you please. Now, tell me what is on your mind.' 'George was one of Mr. Dering's managing clerks--your Mr. Dering, you know.'--Mr. Edmund Gray nodded gravely. 'He had no money when we were engaged, and we thought that we were going to be quite a poor and humble pair. But a great piece of good fortune happened to him, for Mr. Dering made him a Partner.' 'Did he? Very lucky for your friend. But I always thought that Dering ought to have a Partner. At his age it was only prudent--necessary, even.'