"He didn't know for certain; but he told me enough to make it almost certain. Besides," he added, glancing at the signorina, "we have other reasons for suspecting it. Give me the ten thousand. You shall have your loan back, and, if you like, you shall be Minister of Finance. We practically know the money's there; don't we, signorina?" She nodded assent. "If we fail?" said I. He drew a neat little revolver from his pocket, placed it for a moment against his ear, and repocketed it. "Most lucidly explained, colonel," said I. "Will you give me half an hour to think it over?" "Yes," he said. "You'll excuse me if I stay in the outer office. Of course I trust you, Martin, but in this sort of thing--" "All right, I see," said I. "And you, signorina?" "I'll wait too," she said. They both rose and went out, and I heard them in conversation with Jones. I sat still, thinking hard. But scarcely a moment had passed, when I heard the door behind me open. It was the signorina. She came in, stood behind my chair, and, leaning over, put her arms round my neck. I looked up, and saw her face full of mischief. "What about the rose, Jack?" she asked. I remembered. Bewildered with delight, and believing I had won her, I said: "Your soldier till death, signorina." "Bother death!" said she saucily. "Nobody's going to die. We shall win, and then--" "And then," said I eagerly, "you'll marry me, sweet?" She quietly stooped down and kissed my lips. Then, stroking my hair, she said: "You're a nice boy, but you're not a good boy, Jack." "Christina, you won't marry him?" "Him?" "McGregor," said I. "Jack," said she, whispering now, "I hate him!" "So do I," I answered promptly. "And if it's to win you, I'll upset a dozen Presidents." "Then you'll do it for me? I like to think you'll do it for me, and not for the money." As the signorina was undoubtedly "doing it" for her money, this was a shade unreasonable. "I don't mind the money coming in--" I began. "Mercenary wretch!" she cried. "I didn't kiss you, did I?" "No," I replied. "You said you would in a minute, when I consented." "Very neat, Jack," she said. But she went and opened the door and called to McGregor, "Mr. Martin sees no objection to the arrangement, and he will come to dinner to-night, as you suggest, and talk over the details. We're all going to make our fortunes, Mr. Jones," she went on, without waiting for any acceptance of her implied invitation, "and when we've made ours, we'll think about you and Mrs. Jones."