"I may tell you that my change from Belmore Street to Norwood had not affected the visits of this man, who had, I believe, a real and overpowering affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not have believed that any woman could be so completely under the influence of a man as she was. His stronger nature seemed to entirely dominate her. I had not realized how far this was the case, or the extent of the confidence which existed between them, until that very evening when his true character for the first time was made clear to me. I had given orders that when he called he should be shown into my study instead of to the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I knew all about him, that I had taken steps to defeat his designs, and that neither I nor my daughter desired ever and to see him again. I added that I thanked God that I had found him out before he had time to harm those precious objects which had been the work of my life-time to protect. "He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took my remarks without a sign either of surprise or of defiance, but listened gravely and attentively until I had finished. Then he walked across the room without a word and struck the bell. "'Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this way,' said he to the servant. "My daughter entered, and the man closed the door behind her. Then he took her hand in his. "'Elise,' said he, 'your father has just discovered that I am a villain. He knows now what you knew before.' "She stood in silence, listening. "'He says that we are to part for ever,' said he. "She did not withdraw her hand. "'Will you be true to me, or will you remove the last good influence which is ever likely to come into my life?' "'John,' she cried, passionately, 'I will never abandon you! Never, never, not if the whole world were against you.' "In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was absolutely useless. Her whole life was bound up in this man before me. My daughter, gentlemen, is all that I have left to love, and it filled me with agony when I saw how powerless I was to save her from her ruin. My helplessness seemed to touch this man who was the cause of my trouble. "'It may not be as bad as you think, sir,' said he, in his quiet, inflexible way. 'I love Elise with a love which is strong enough to rescue even one who has such a record as I have. It was but yesterday that I promised her that never again in my whole life would I do a thing of which she should be ashamed. I have made up my mind to it, and never yet did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.' "He spoke with an air which carried conviction with it. As he concluded he put his hand into his pocket and he drew out a small cardboard box.