Miss Leslie, like a naughty little girl who is determined to make her small brother's flesh creep before he retires to bed, continued remorselessly:-- "And what has he to look forward to? Nothing! Nothing but old age, with its increasing feebleness, and helplessness, and friendlessness. That is all!" She looked across at the shaking figure in the armchair, and suddenly there was real pity and kindness in her eyes. "I should like to be able to save a man from that, Montagu," she remarked gently. Montagu nodded his head. For once he had nothing to say. "That is why," continued Jean Leslie in the same even tone, "I am thinking of marrying Adolphus Prince. I am no longer a girl. I should understand his moods, which are many: I could manage his house, and I would not be likely"--she smiled modestly--"to go losing my heart to some younger man after a year or two. And of course, when I saw that my husband wanted to be left to himself and not bothered,--as all husbands have a right to expect,--I should have my painting to occupy me." "I will say the same for you, Jean," said Montagu Falconer almost effusively; "you always had an appreciation of Art. But come, now! What of this fellow? Is he a philistine--a bourgeois--a chromolithographer?" "I am afraid poor Adolphus has little knowledge of Art--Art as you and I know it," replied Miss Leslie regretfully. "But he is a good creature in other respects." Montagu Falconer began to walk excitedly about the room. "There you are!" he said. "There you are! Isn't that a woman all over? Here are you, Jean, with your splendid talents and comparative youth, with a strongly developed sense of what is right and beautiful, prepared to throw yourself away upon a half-pay, knock-kneed, blear-eyed militiaman, who probably wears Jaeger boots and furnishes his rooms with stuffed parrots and linoleum. The idea is unthinkable--impossible! You cannot do it!" "Then you forbid me to marry him?" said Miss Leslie timidly. "Certainly I do," replied Montagu, noting to himself with intense gratification that a man has only to be thoroughly firm with a woman to win her complete submission. "You don't _care_ for the creature, I suppose?" "Not very deeply," confessed Miss Leslie. "He is just a friend--a very old friend." She sighed, rose from her seat, and held out her hand. "Good-bye, Montagu," she said, "and thank you! I must be going now. It was good of you to have such a long talk." "I say, don't go yet," said Montagu. "I mean--" He hesitated. He hardly knew what he did mean. "I think I really must," replied Miss Leslie. Montagu accompanied her silently to the door. "You are going to take my advice, I trust?" he remarked as they stood upon the steps. Jean Leslie pondered. "I suppose so," she said slowly. "A man's logic and common sense are so invincible. Still, I owe you a grudge, all the same, for having deprived me of my one romance. I am not likely to have another, you see! Good-bye, Montagu, and thank you!"