“You have never spoken of her in my hearing, except once—­you recollect when, Martin?  We have supposed she was still living in Tardif’s house.  Then there is nothing to prevent me from carrying out my threat.  Kate Daltrey shall never enter this house as mistress.”

“Would you have given it up for Olivia’s sake?” I asked, marvelling at her generosity.

“I should have done it for your sake,” she answered, frankly.

“But,” I said, reverting to our original topic, “if my father has set his mind upon marrying Kate Daltrey, he will brave any thing.”

“He is a dotard,” replied Julia.  “He positively makes me dread growing old.  Who knows what follies one may be guilty of in old age!  I never felt afraid of it before.  Kate says she has two hundred a year of her own, and they will go and live on that in Jersey, if Guernsey becomes unpleasant to them.  Martin, she is a viper—­she is indeed.  And I have made such a friend of her!  Now I shall have no one but you and the Careys.  Why wasn’t I satisfied with Johanna as my friend?”

She stayed an hour longer, turning over this unwelcome subject till we had thoroughly discussed every point of it.  In the evening, after dinner, I spoke to my father briefly but decisively upon the same topic.  After a very short and very sharp conversation, there remained no alternative for me but to make up my mind to try my fortune once more out of Guernsey.  I wrote by the next mail to Jack Senior, telling him my purpose, and the cause of it, and by return of post I received his reply: 

“Dear old boy:  Why shouldn’t you come, and go halves with me?  Dad says so.  He is giving up shop, and going to live in the country at Fulham.  House and practice are miles too big for me.  ‘Senior and Dobree,’ or ‘Dobree and Senior,’ whichever you please.  If you come I can pay dutiful attention to Dad without losing my customers.  That is his chief reason.  Mine is that I only feel half myself without you at hand.  Don’t think of saying no.

     “JACK.”

It was a splendid opening, without question.  Dr. Senior had been in good practice for more than thirty years, and he had quietly introduced Jack to the position he was about to resign.  Yet I pondered over the proposal for a whole week before agreeing to it.  I knew Jack well enough to be sure he would never regret his generosity; but if I went I would go as junior partner, and with a much smaller proportion of the profits than that proffered by Jack.  Finally I resolved to accept the offer, and wrote to him as to the terms upon which alone I would join him.

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SIXTH.

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS.