"Yes. Well, she came and gave me beans to begin with. Then young Lance began to suspect me,--he never could stand me at any price,--and he came and raised Cain one day at a luncheon party I was giving--but, by the way, that's all right now; Lance has come round completely. Even the Leroys couldn't conceal their conviction that I had made a bungle somewhere--an honest bungle, of course, but a bungle. And finally an unutterable sweep called Haliburton came along. I knew something of him--so much, in fact, that it never occurred to me that there was anything to fear from him. But he got the master-grip on me when every one else had failed. Joey--our Joey--fell in love with him and promised to marry him!" "I have heard nothing of this. What sort of fellow is he?" enquired Jimmy Marrable. "Much the same type, I should say, as the late lamented Gaymer, senior." "Are you sure--about her falling in love?" continued Jimmy Marrable, in a puzzled voice. "Looks like it," said Hughie. "I was away yesterday, and got back early this morning. I found a note from Joey on my dressing-table, saying that Haliburton had proposed to her, and that she was sending him along to me to ask for my consent. She wouldn't have gone as far as that if she didn't--if she didn't"--His voice shook. "It was a pill for me, Uncle Jimmy!" "What did you do?" said Jimmy Marrable. "I did this. I knew quite well that if Joey--loved him"--the words came from between his clenched teeth--"she would stick to him, blackguard or not. She's that sort." "She is. Well?" "I came to the conclusion that if there was to be a rupture of the engagement it must come from him." "You made him break it off?" "Yes." "How? By throwing him out of the window?" "No. That would have been no good if he was really after her money. I simply told him the truth--the whole truth--about her bank balance, and so on. That did it. He backed out all right." Jimmy Marrable rubbed his hands. "And then?" "And then ideas began to occur to him--" "Exactly. He began to ask questions--to make innuendoes--" "Yes. I then threw him out of the window. It was some consolation. That is the story." Hughie turned away, and gazed dejectedly into the fender. Presently Jimmy Marrable remarked:-- "And meanwhile the fat is in the fire?" "It is," said Hughie bitterly. "Uncle Jimmy, what _will_ she think? Everything is bound to come out now,--that fellow will run about telling everybody,--and when she hears of the cruel position I've placed her in she'll never speak to me again. We shan't even be ordinary good friends now. Poor little girl! I've done her the worst turn a man can do a woman; and I would have _died_ for her--cheerfully!" Hughie leaned against the tall mantelpiece and dropped his head upon his arms. "Joey! Joey!" he murmured to himself, very softly.