Evidently that plan
would be quite useless."
"Yes, there could result nothing save evil from such an attempt," he
replied.
"Take my advice, Allan. Now answer me honestly, what is it that you hope
to make out of this? Do you care very much for the girl herself?"
"I like her," was the hesitating answer; "but I must confess I care more
for money than anything else."
"Then I will teach you how to make money of this affair. Write tomorrow,
tell her you have received her letter, but that you must always love
her, and that you shall hold her to her promise of being your wife. The
chances are that she will not answer that letter, and that for a time
there will be silence between you. Then," she continued, "my advice to
you is this: wait until she marries. You cannot marry her now, she will
never be willing, but you can make a very decent fortune out of her when
she is married."
"In what way?" he asked.
"Hold those letters as a rod over her, threaten to bring an action
against her--she will never know that such an action cannot stand; or if
that does not do, threaten to show them to her husband. Rather than let
him know, rather than let Lord and Lady Ridsdale know, she will give you
thousands of pounds."
Allan Lyster for one-half moment shrank from his sister.
"It seems so very bad," he said.
"Not at all. She will have more money than she can count; you have a
right to some of it. Of course, you will never really tell, but why not
make what you can out of it? She would not even miss a thousand a year
and see what one thousand alone would do for you.
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