"And you won't marry her?"
"No; I shall not marry her. Nor does she wish it. I trust that she will be engaged, with my full approbation—"
"And what the deuce, sir, is your full approbation to me? Whose child is she, I should like to know? Look here, Mr. Gorm; perhaps you forget that you wrote me this letter when I allowed you to have the charge of that young girl?" And he took out from his breast a very greasy pocket-book, and displayed to Felix his own much-worn letter,—holding it, however, at a distance, so that it should not be torn from his hands by any sudden raid. "Do you think, sir, I would have given up my child if I didn't know she was to be married respectable? My child is as dear to me as another man's."
"I hope she is. And you are a very lucky fellow to have her so well provided for. I've told you all I've got to say, and now you may go."
"Mr. Gorm!"
"I've nothing more to say; and if I had, I would not say it to you now. Your child shall be taken care of."
"That's what I call pretty cool on the part of any gen'leman. And you're to break your word,—a regular breach of promise, and nothing ain't to come of it! I'll tell you what, Mr. Gorm, you'll find that something will come of it. What do you think I took this letter for?"
"You took it, I hope, for Mary's protection."
"And by —— she shall be protected."
"She shall, undoubtedly; but I fear not by you. For the present I will protect her; and I hope that soon a husband will do so who will love her. Now, Mr. Snow, I've told you all I've got to say, and I must trouble you to leave me."