"Oh, no," said Rupert, calmly, when Mallien came for a last interview. "I don't think it is good for you to be treated with such leniency." "Nor do I," chimed in Dorinda, who found it difficult to behave amiably to her father, seeing how badly he had behaved. "What do you mean?" demanded Mallien, taken aback, for he had quite expected to get his own way. "What do you both mean?" "I don't think it is so very difficult to gather what we mean," replied Rupert coolly. "You never intended to give me a penny had you got the money, so why should I give an income to you?" "That's different." "Maybe. Anyhow, you will have to live on what you have." "I am Dorinda's father." "I don't look on you as my father," said the undutiful daughter. "You never have behaved like a father to me, and now that I have Rupert to look after me, I wish to see as little of you as possible." "And this is my child," moaned Mallien, much cast down. Dorinda laughed. "It won't do, father," she said calmly. "As Mr. Leigh declared on his deathbed, you had every opportunity of acting honorably. How you have acted I leave to your conscience to say." "_I_ won't," said Rupert sharply. "See here, Mallien. I am a kind-hearted man and wish to help everyone, but for me to give you money for your wickedness would be wrong." "What wickedness?" "If you will have it; you threatened to turn me out of this house as a pauper, and you have done your best to prove true a document which you knew to be forged. If you had triumphed, Dorinda and I would have been thrown into the street without a penny. Because you have failed, you come whimpering to me for money. You shan't have any. As you are my wife's father, I should have allowed you enough to live on had you been without an income. But as you enjoy five hundred a year of your own you can exist on that. And, as people here are not very well disposed toward you, I advise you to go away." Furious at this plain speaking Mallien turned on his daughter. "Do you hear how I am spoken to?" he demanded looking black. "I hear," responded Mrs. Hendle quietly, "and I am glad that you hear the truth for once in your life. I hope it will make you a better man. I think you had better take Rupert's advice and leave Barship." "Oh, I shall go. I don't want to stay in such a hole," shouted Mallien, putting on his hat violently; then he became pathetic. "And I go to live a lonely life." "I think you will find plenty of amusement in playing with your jewels," said Dorinda quietly. "You never cared for me."