But what displeased Mary more than anything was, that he had used money of her father's to speculate with in more than one public-house; and she knew that, if in her father's lifetime he had so used even his own, it would have been enough to make him insist on dissolving partnership.
It was impossible to allow her money to remain any longer in the power of such a man, and she gave authority to Mr.Brett to make the necessary arrangements for putting an end to business relations between them.
It was a somewhat complicated, therefore tedious business; and things looked worse the further they were searched into.

Unable to varnish the facts to the experience of a professional eye, Mr.Turnbull wrote Mary a letter almost cringing in its tone, begging her to remember the years her father and he had been as brothers; how she had grown up in the shop, and had been to him, until misunderstandings arose, into the causes of which he could not now enter, in the place of a daughter; and insisting that her withdrawal from it had had no small share in the ruin of the business.

For these considerations, and, more than all, for the memory of her father, he entreated her to leave things as they were, to trust him to see after the interests of the daughter of his old friend, and not insist upon measures which must end in a forced sale, in the shutting up of the shop of Turnbull and Marston, and the disgracing of her father's name along with his.
Mary replied that she was acting by the advice of her father's lawyer, and with the regard she owed her father's memory, in severing all connection with a man in whom she no longer had confidence; and insisted that the business must be wound up as soon as possible.
She instructed Mr.Brett, at the same time, that, if it could be managed, she would prefer getting the shop, even at considerable loss, into her own hands, with what stock might be in it, when she would attempt to conduct the business on principles her father would have approved, whereby she did not doubt of soon restoring it to repute.
While she had no intention, she said, of selling so _well_ as Mr.
Turnbull would fain have done, she believed she would soon be able to buy to just as good advantage as he.

It would be necessary, however, to keep her desire a secret, else Mr.Turnbull would be certain to frustrate it.
Mr.Brett approved of her plan, for he knew she was much respected, and had many friends.

Mr.Turnbull would be glad, he said, to give up the whole to escape prosecution--that at least was how Mary interpreted his somewhat technical statement of affairs between them.
The swindler wrote again, begging for an interview--which she declined, except in the presence of her lawyer.
She made up her mind that she would not go near Testbridge till everything was settled, and the keys of the shop in Mr.Brett's hands; and remained, therefore, where she was--with Letty, who to keep her company delayed her departure as long as she could without giving offense at Thornwick.
A few days before Letty was at last compelled to leave, Jasper called, and heard about as much as they knew themselves of their plans.