874
WYLDER'S H.iJVD.
"Then it is plain, sir, I musl hear you to-night," said
Miss Lake, haughtily.
'- Not tliat, exactly, Miss Lake, but only that, i' must
apeak, to-night — in fact, I have no choice. The subject
of our conference really is an urgent one, and to-morrow
morning, which we should each equally prefer, would be
possibly too late — too late, at least, to obviate a very
painful situation."
"You will make it, I am sure, as short as you can,
sir,'' said the young lady, in the same tone.
"Exactly my wish, Miss Lake," replied Mr. Jos
Larkin.
'' Bring candles, Margery."
And so the little drawing-room was illuminated; and
Miss Lake sitting down at the other, side of the table, qui-
etly requested Mr. Larkin to open his case.
"Why, really, it is hardly a five minutes' matter, Miss
Lake. It refers to the Vicar, the Rev. William Wylder,
and his respectable family, and a proposition which he, as
my client, mentioned to me this evening. He stated that
you had offered to advance a sum of 600/. for the liquida-
tion of his liabilities. It will, perhaps, conduce to clear-
ness to dispose of this part of the matter first. May I
therefore ask, at this stage, whether the Rev. William
Wylder rightly conceived you, when he so stated your
meaning to me?"
"Yes. certainly, I am most anxious to assist them with
that little sum, which I have now an opportunity of pro-
curing."
A — exactly — yes — well, Miss Lake, that is, of
course, very kind of you; but, as Mr. William Wylder's
solicitor, and as I have already demonstrated to him, I
must now inform you, that the sum of six hundred pounds
would be absolutely useless jn his position; ten times