“Your amiable but cork-brained friend, of course.”
“ Scunthorpe? ” Bertram said incredulously. “It was not—it was not someone else?”
“No, it was not someone else. I have not so far discussed the matter with your sister, if that is what you mean.”
“How do you know she is my sister?” Bertram said, staring at him harder than ever. “Do you say that Scunthorpe told you that too?”
“No, I guessed it from the start. Have you kept your bills? Let me have them!”
“Nothing would induce me to!” cried Bertram hotly. “I mean, I am very much obliged to you, sir, and it’s curst good of you, but you must see that I couldn’t accept such generosity! Why, we are almost strangers! I cannot conceive why you should think of doing such a thing for me!”
“Ah, but we are not destined to remain strangers!” explained Mr. Beaumaris, “I am going to marry your sister.”
“Going to marry Bella? ” Bertram said.
“Certainly. You perceive that that puts the whole matter on quite a different footing. You can hardly expect me either to win money from my wife’s brother at faro, or to bear the odium of having a relative in the Fleet. You really must consider my position a little, my dear boy.”
Bertram’s lip quivered. “I see what it is! She did go to you, and that is why—But if you think, sir, that I have sunk so low I would let Bella sacrifice herself only to save me from disgrace—”