She laid her fingers for a moment upon his arm. "Mr. Brendon," she said, "if I could ask for advice, or borrow money from any one, I would from you--there! But I cannot. I never could. I suppose I ought to have been a man. You see, I have had to look after myself so long that I have developed a terrible bump of independence." "Such independence," he answered quickly, "is a vice. You see to what it has brought you. You are going to accept a post as chorus girl, or super, or something of that sort." "You do not flatter me," she laughed. "I am too much in earnest," he answered, "to be able to take this matter lightly." "I am rebuked," she declared. "I suppose my levity is incorrigible. But seriously, things are not so bad as you think." He groaned. "They never seem so at first!" he said. "You do not quite understand," she said gently. "I will tell you the truth. It is true that I have accepted an engagement from Mr. Earles, but it is a good one. I am not going to be a chorus girl, or even a super. I have never told you so, or Sydney, but I can sing--rather well. When my father died, and we were left alone in Jersey, I was quite a long time deciding whether I would go in for singing professionally or try painting. I made a wrong choice, it seems--but my voice remains." "You are really going on the stage, then?" he said slowly. "In a sense--yes." Brendon went very pale. "Miss Pellissier," he said, "don't!" "Why not?" she asked, smiling. "I must live, you know." "I haven't told any one the amount," he went on. "It sounds too ridiculous. But I have two hundred thousand pounds. Will you marry me?" Anna looked at him in blank amazement. Then she burst into a peal of laughter. "My dear boy," she exclaimed. "How ridiculous! Fancy you with all that money! For heaven's sake, though, do not go about playing the Don Quixote like this. It doesn't matter with me, but there are at least a dozen young women in Mr. Earles' waiting-room who would march you straight off to a registrar's office." "You have not answered my question," he reminded her. "Nor am I going to," she answered, smiling. "I am going to ignore it. It was really very nice of you, but to-morrow you will laugh at it as I do now." "Is it necessary," he said, "for me to tell you----" "Stop, please," she said firmly. Brendon was silent. "Do not force me to take you seriously," she continued. "I like to think of your offer. It was impulsive and natural. Now let us forget it." "I understand," he said, doggedly.