She would permanently engage herself to nobody--least of all to a man who had taken sordid advantage of her position and mine.

She would be her own mistress, and share the profits with me, while she wanted money, and while it suited her to go on.

So far so good.

But the reason she added next, for her flattering preference of myself, was less to my taste.

"The music-seller is not the man whom I employ to make my inquiries," she said.