The sole course that remained, should Braddock begin
operations to break the present engagement, would be to marry
Lucy at once. Archie would willingly have done so, but pecuniary
difficulties stood in the way. He had never told any one of
these, not even the girl he loved, but they existed all the same.
For many years he had been assisting needy relatives, and thus
had hampered himself, in spite of his income. By sheer force of
will, so as to force Braddock into giving him Lucy, he had
contrived to secure the necessary thousand pounds, without
confusing the arrangements he had made to pay off certain debts
connected with his domestic philanthropy; but this brought him to
the end of his resources. In six months he hoped to be free to
have his income entirely to himself, and then--small as it was--
he could support a wife. But until the half year elapsed he
could see no chance of marrying Lucy with any degree of comfort,
and meanwhile she would be exposed to the persecutions of the
Professor. Perhaps persecutions is too harsh a word, as Braddock
was kind enough to the girl. Nevertheless, he was pertinacious
in gaining his aims where his pet hobby was concerned, and
undoubtedly, could he see any chance of obtaining the money from
Random by selling his step-daughter, he would do so.
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