"When visitors inquire for my young ladies, I am accustomed to receive them myself," was the quiet reply. "Miss Mason is at present quite too unwell to see any one, and she requests me to say, that neither now, nor at any other time, does she wish to receive visits from Mr. Hugo. I must add, that owing to recent events, I must decline any further attendance from you at this establishment."
"Which I have degraded myself ever to have entered—" burst forth Mr. Hugo. "But upon what pretext does Miss Mason deny my visits?"
"I am not aware that any pretext is necessary, but if it were, I have forbidden her to leave her room till her father arrives, nor, I may add, has she any wish to do so. She has related to me the whole story of her acquaintance, from the beginning, and I have her authority not only for refusing any further correspondence, but also for returning your presents, and requesting the return of her letters."
"Which, nevertheless, I shall take the liberty of retaining," said Mr. Hugo, with his peculiar smile. "These same letters will make a pretty little romance, which will, no doubt, be pleasing to the friends of Miss Mason and Miss Arlington, and add greatly to the reputation of Mrs. Pomeroy's school, as showing the care which is taken of the young ladies' morals at that establishment."
This was touching Mrs. Pomeroy upon a tender point. As Delia had once remarked, she valued the reputation of her school above all things, and it had hitherto been above a breath of reproach. She cast a glance of some alarm at Mr. Fletcher, which Mr. Hugo perceived, and fancying that he had gained an advantage, he pursued it.
"Very pretty documents are these same letters, and when they are properly arranged, and accompanied with some account of moonlight walks, and meetings in the back rooms of confectionary shops, and so forth, they will make a nice story for some of the daily prints. Your respectable pension will derive additional lustre from the fact of its having been the scene of such a transaction, and I shall put a pretty little sum in my pocket. This will be some compensation for the loss of the fortune of Miss Delia, who, as the heroine of this romance, will confer honor on her family name. Monsieur says nothing," he added, turning from Mrs. Pomeroy to Mr. Fletcher. "Possibly he is struck dumb with astonishment!"
"Not at all!" replied Mr. Fletcher. "I always believed you to be a consummate rascal, from the first moment I saw you. I suppose the plain English of all this rodomontade is, that you want to be paid for suppressing the letters. If that is your object, you would do better to state it directly."
"Monsieur is very quick-sighted," said Mr. Hugo, with a grin. "You must be aware that the publication of these letters will irrecoverably injure the young lady. Notwithstanding the way in which she has treated me, I have a disinterested regard for her—"
"We will dispense with any reference to your regard," interrupted Mr. Fletcher, "which might have been somewhat modified, had you been acquainted with the fact that the young lady's fortune is wholly forfeited if she marries without her father's consent, before she comes of age."
"The traitress!" exclaimed Mr. Hugo. "She never told me that. However, it is no reason why I should not make my profit off these documents."