"No, no, Dick, you shall not leave me yet," cried Mrs Glaire, in impassioned tones, as the tears now streamed down her cheeks. "You must--you shall listen to me. Can you not see that besides maddening the poor man by the cruel wrong you would do, you will make him your deadly enemy; that the works would be almost helpless without him; and that he is the strong link that holds the workpeople to our side? For they respect him, and--" "Go on. They don't respect me, you were going to say," said Richard, petulantly. "Oh, mother, it's too bad. You've got hold of some cock-and-bull bit of scandal, set about by one of the chattering fools of the place--old Bullivant, very likely--and you believe it." "Richard, my boy," said Mrs Glaire, rising and standing before him, "can you not be frank and candid with your own mother?" "You won't let me," he said; "you do nothing but bully me." "When I tell you of your danger; when I remind you that you are standing on the edge of a precipice--" "Oh, hang the precipice!" he cried; "you said that before." "When I warn you of the ruin, and beg of you on my knees, my boy, if you like, not to pursue this girl--not to yield to a weak, mad passion that will only bring you misery and regret to the end of your days, for you would never marry her." "Well, it isn't likely," he said, brutally. "Dick--Dick," cried Mrs Glaire, passionately, roused by the callous tone in which he spoke, "are you in your right senses, or have you been drinking? It cannot be my boy who speaks!" "Well, there, all right, mother, I'll own to it all," he said, flippantly, and then he winced as the poor woman cast her arms round his neck, and strained him to her breast. "I knew you would, my boy, as soon as the good in your nature got the upper hand. And now, Dick, you'll promise me you won't see Daisy Banks any more." "All right, mother, I won't." "Thankyou, Dick. God bless you for this. But I must talk to you a little more. I have something else to say." "What, to-night?" he said, with a weary yawn. "Yes, to-night. Just a few words." "Go on then, only cut it short." "I wanted to say a few words to you about Eve." "Oh, bother Eve," he muttered. "Well, go on." "Don't you think, Dick, my boy, you've been very neglectful of poor Eve lately?" "Been as attentive as I ever have." "No, no, Dick; and listen, dear; try and be a little more loving to her." "Look here, mother," cried Richard, impatiently; "I've promised all you want." "Yes, yes, my boy." "Well, if you get always trying to thrust Eve down my throat, I shall go away." "Richard!" "I'm tired of being bored about her." "But your future wife! Dick, my boy--there, only a few more words--will you take my advice?" "Yes--no--yes; well, there, I'll try." "Don't you think, then, _that_ had better come off soon?" "_That_! What?" "Your marriage."