"Give her up?" cried Alick. "I'll break stones on the highway or porter on the pier before I'll give up her little finger!"
"You fool! You confounded fool! But no fear! She'll give you up when she finds you've lost your income."
"Will she? I'll trust her for that, Sir."
"Then get away back to her—you'll not be the first by a long way."
Alick, who had been trying to laugh, stopped his laughter suddenly, and said, "What do you mean by that, Sir?"
"Mean? Do you want me to tell you what I mean?"
"Archie," cried Mrs. Gell, and again she indicated their daughters.
"Get out of this, will you?" cried the Speaker to the girls, who had been sitting with their noses in their teacups.
The girls fled from the room, but stood outside to listen.
"Father," said Alick, "you must tell me what you mean."