"Not if it makes you happy, my dear. All girls have to marry sometime, I suppose. You'll be rather farther away from me than I could wish, but I dare say the Prince will let me come over and stay in his castle occasionally, and eat at the second table--" "_Let_ you! Why, he'll _beg_ you to. Why couldn't you come over and live with us, dad?" "And die of ennui in a year? Not much. I'll go home and make some more money for you--you see, I'd never figured on having to finance a Princess!" "Dad," very softly. "Well, what?" "Do you know, I don't believe he suspects I'm to have any money." "Neither do I. That's one thing I like about him." "But you really might come and live with us, dad." "Oh, no, I mightn't. Besides, there's Nell--What!" he cried, interpreting the sudden pressure of her arms, "you don't mean that she's gone and done it, too!" "I don't know, dad, but Lord Vernon has been very attentive to her. She hasn't told me anything; I'm only guessing." Her father gave a long, low whistle. "Well!" he said. "You've been hustling things up with a vengeance, I must say! There must be something in the atmosphere. It'll be a little lonely in that big New York house without you, Susie." "I know it will, dear dad. And if you say the word, I won't leave you--not for a long, long time. It will be a long time anyway, you know--a year, at least--there will be so much to do." "And a year is quite long enough to keep two lovers apart. Youth goes faster than you think, my dear. No, no; it'll be all right, Susie. You don't suppose I'm as selfish as all that!" "No, dad; that's just what I'm afraid of; you're not selfish enough. It's I who am selfish." "Nonsense! Everybody in this world has a right to happiness, Susie; why, that's one of the foundation-stones of the Declaration of Independence. And, I take it, a woman's great chance of happiness is in marrying the man she loves. That's what every woman has a right to do, and nobody has the right to raise a finger to prevent her. I'll give you to Markeld with a clear conscience, my dear, when the time comes, and bless you both. That is, if you really love him." "Oh, dad!" she cried and hid her face; there is one light in the eyes which none but a lover may see! "Quite sure?" he persisted. "Quite sure!" she said, softly. "You're sure you're not jumping in the dark; it isn't the Prince you're in love with?" "No, dad; it's the man. That seems an awfully bold thing for a girl to say, doesn't it? But he--he's such a nice fellow!" "Yes, I believe he is," agreed her father. "He's been telling me about himself, you know; about what he wants to do in the world," added Susie, looking up at him. "Has he?" and her father laughed. "The same old game--effective as ever! We all do it--why, I remember, Susie--" He stopped suddenly, with a little tremor in his voice. "Yes, dad," very softly. She was leaning forward on his knee, looking up at him. He put his arm around her and drew her close.