"And she doesn't like me," replied Nick.
"Make her like you, my boy. Be a bit diplomatic, and play to win. Besides, you must win!"
"Did you notice how funny she was last night? I asked her where she had been, and she seemed to regard my question as a liberty. And did you see how eager she was when we were talking about Jasper afterward?"
"But she knows nothing about him. She never saw him."
"Yes, she saw him pilloried in Falmouth. She thinks him treated badly. She has all sorts of funny ideas about justice."
"Of course, all silly girls have; that's nothing. At the same time, Nick, this shows you must play carefully. I don't want any complications in getting her money, and mind you, that money I must have, or we are all in deep water."
"What do you mean?"
"This. We can't raise sixpence, that is legally, on Pennington. There are simply the rents. Well, this split up into several parts is very little. So—" he hesitated.
"So what?" asked Nick, eagerly.