“Then I’ll tell you my plan. Fight it out.”

“I do not want to fight for anything that is not my own.”

“But it is your own. It is your own of rights, even though it should not be so by some quibble of the lawyers. I don’t believe twelve Englishmen would be found in London to give it to anybody else; I don’t indeed.”

“But my own lawyer tells me it isn’t mine, Mr Rubb.”

“Never mind him; don’t you give up anything. Don’t you let them make you soft. When it comes to money nobody should give up anything. Now I’ll tell you what I propose.”

She now sat down and listened to him, while he stood over her. It was manifest that he was very eager, and in his eagerness he became loud, so that she feared his words might be heard out of the room.

“You know what my sentiments are,” he said. At that moment she did not remember what his sentiments were, nor did she know what he meant. “They’re the same now as ever. Whether you have got your fortune, or whether you’ve got nothing, they’re the same. I’ve seen you tried alongside of your brother, when he was a-dying, and, Margaret, I like you now better than ever I did.”

“Mr Rubb, at present, all that cannot mean anything.”

“But doesn’t it mean anything? By Jove! it does though. It means just this, that I’ll make you Mrs Rubb to-morrow, or as soon as Doctors’ Commons, and all that, will let us do it; and I’ll chance the money afterwards. Do you let it just go easy, and say nothing, and I’ll fight them. If the worst comes to the worst, they’ll be willing enough to cry halves with us. But, Margaret, if the worst does come to be worse than that you won’t find me hard to you on that account. I shall always remember who helped me when I wanted help.”

“I am sure, Mr Rubb, I am much obliged to you.”

“Don’t talk about being obliged, but get up and give me your hand, and say it shall be a bargain.” Then he tried to take her by the hand and raise her from the chair up towards him.

“No, no, no!” said she.

“But I say yes. Why should it be no? If there never should come a penny out of this property I will put a roof over your head, and will find you victuals and clothes respectably. Who will do better for you than that? And as for the fight, by Jove! I shall like it. You’ll find they’ll get nothing out of my hands till they have torn away my nails.”

Here was a new phase in her life. Here was a man willing to marry her even though she had no assured fortune.

“Margaret,” said he, pleading his cause again, “I have that love for you that I would take you though it was all gone, to the last farthing.”