"Steady, steady, old man. Be quiet and I will tell you. You are the Marquis of St. Burden. I heard you say so—there is no getting away from that. Believe me, your secret will never pass my lips. Your father is the Duke of Avonturn!"
Ellison said not a word, but it seemed to him that the beating of his heart must soon choke him. Murkard eyed him curiously.
"Well?"
"Well, what I propose is, that you shall communicate with your father; tell him that you have settled down out here to a steady, honest, respectable life, tell him that difficulties beset you, and ask him for five thousand pounds."
"Never!"
Again there was a pause; try as he would, Ellison could not even bring his mind to think.
"And pray why not?"
"Because I refuse, once and for all; absolutely and implicitly I refuse, and you shall never make me budge from it."
"I shall not let you. You cannot help yourself."
"I can and will help myself. I refuse to do what you wish. I refuse—I refuse!"