Drawing the pad to her she blotted what Elmore had written; then, after a glance at what was on it, began to return it to her blouse, while the young gentleman sat and watched. "I'm going to put this into an envelope with a note I'm going to write, and give it to Mr. Dale, and tell him to keep it for me till I ask for it; and if I don't ask for it he'll know why." "So, in writing that, I have not only put myself in your power, but also in Mr. Dale's." "I tell you that if you do marry me on Thursday I'll give it you again before we leave the registrar's; but if for any cause you don't, even if you put me out of the way, Mr. Dale will see that you are made to smart." A voice was heard calling to her without: "Miss Joyce." She replied to it. "All right, Mr. Dale. You'll find your supper all ready for you in the parlour; I'm coming now." She went, the bill form inside her blouse. Mr. Elmore was left to his own reflections. He remained just as she had left him, leaning forward, his arms upon the table, looking with unblinking eyes straight in front of him, as if he hoped to find in space an answer to a problem which was difficult to solve. CHAPTER XVI THOMAS AUSTIN, SENIOR Miss Joyce came into Mr. Elmore's bedroom the next morning before he was out of it. As a matter of fact, he was arranging his tie before the looking-glass with that nice care which is becoming to a young gentleman of looks. "There's a gentleman come to see you--a Mr. Austin. I should say from the look of him that he's the father of the Miss Austin who was here last evening." "The thing is possible." "I don't know what he's come about." "It's conceivable that you soon will know if you keep your ear close enough to my sitting-room door. Mr. Austin has rather a hearty way of speaking." "Don't you talk to me like that! You know I've never played the spy on you yet, and you know I never will. But don't you make any mistake about last night. Mr. Dale's got that paper you wrote and my letter in a sealed envelope, and if you don't turn up on Thursday you'll be sorry." "Thank you so much for the information. Now, let me clearly understand. If, as you put it, I do turn up on Thursday, what is going to happen--after the ceremony?" "All I want is my marriage lines. I'm coming straight back home; you can do as you like." "If I like can I go through a similar ceremony with Miss Jones or Miss Brown?" "If I thought you were going to be up to any game of that sort I'd--I'd----" "Yes--you'd what?" "I'd go and talk to your Mr. Austin to begin with. Don't you get any ideas of that kind in your head; don't you try it on." "I've no intention of, as you again put it, 'trying it on,' not I. I only wondered. Then, at least, you won't insist on the position being made instantly public?" "I don't care if it's made public or not. All I want is my marriage lines--when the time comes."