The Unexpected

Undoubtedly Lucy would refuse to be passed along from one man to another
like a bale of goods, and Archie knew that, so far as in her lay, she
would keep to her engagement, especially as she denied Braddock's right
to dispose of her hand. All the same, the Professor, in spite of
his cherubical looks, could make himself extremely disagreeable, and
undoubtedly would do so if thwarted. 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. Assuredly it was dishonorable to act in this way, but the
Professor was a scientific Jesuit, and deemed that the end justified the
means, when any glory to himself and gain to the British Museum was in
question.