No, sir, it is the end of it--what comes after is either heaven or hell. [_EPHGRAVES enters._] EPHGRAVES. Miss Brudenell is here with her maid and Mr. Wilfrid. HUGH MURRAY. Don’t bring them in till I ring. MR. CHEAL. Really, Mr. Murray----! [_EPHGRAVES retires._] HUGH MURRAY. Mr. Cheal, I make a final appeal to you with my whole heart. MR. CHEAL. I am a man of business, Mr. Murray! HUGH MURRAY. I know that; and I know that this child is an unremunerative responsibility of which you would gladly be rid. MR. CHEAL. Frankly, the trustees were most inadequately provided for under the Will. HUGH MURRAY. Very well--relieve yourself of the trust and throw the estate into Chancery, and from this moment I undertake to bear on my shoulders the responsibilities of Miss Brudenell’s future. MR. CHEAL. My dear sir, you talk as if the young lady were not deeply in love with Mr. Renshaw. HUGH MURRAY. What judge is a school-girl of the worth of a man? Of course she falls in love with the first she meets. MR. CHEAL. Nothing of the kind. Why, for that matter, Miss Brudenell knew _you_ before she met Mr. Renshaw. HUGH MURRAY. Yes, yes--I know! MR. CHEAL. You have been down to the school at Helmstead often enough--why on earth didn’t the child fall in love with you? HUGH MURRAY. No--true, true. But I have no pretensions to---- of course--I---- [_He strikes a bell._] I fear my argument has been very poor. [_EPHGRAVES ushers in LESLIE BRUDENELL, a sweet-looking girl, tastefully but simply dressed, who is accompanied by her brother WILFRID, a handsome, boyish young man of about one-and-twenty, and her maid PRISCILLA, a healthy-looking country girl._] LESLIE. Oh, Mr. Cheal, am I late? MR. CHEAL. Late, my dear--no. Good morning, Mr. Brudenell. WILFRID BRUDENELL. Leslie was ready to start at seven o’clock this morning and broke the hotel-bell ringing for breakfast. LESLIE. Oh, don’t tell about me, Will, dear. MR. CHEAL. Let me know when the carriage arrives, Mr. Ephgraves. EPHGRAVES. Yes, sir. [_EPHGRAVES goes out._] LESLIE. [_Offering her hand._] Mr. Murray. HUGH MURRAY. Were you very frightened lest you should be late? LESLIE. Yes, _very_. HUGH MURRAY. Of course you were. LESLIE. For _his_ sake--he would suffer so if I kept him waiting. Where is he? HUGH MURRAY. At the Registrar’s. LESLIE. Why aren’t you with him? You promised. HUGH MURRAY. I am busy. LESLIE. Oh, how unkind to be busy on such a morning! Will, Mr. Murray won’t come to the wedding. WILFRID BRUDENELL. That’s a shame. How d’y’r do, Mr. Murray? MR. CHEAL. H’m! _I_ shall be there. WILFRID BRUDENELL. Yes, but Leslie wants her London Mother as well as her London Father. MR. CHEAL. Eh? What’s that? LESLIE. Nothing--be quiet, Will! MR. CHEAL. What is the meaning of a London father and---- WILFRID BRUDENELL. I’ll tell you---- LESLIE.