“And what would we have to do, exactly, to earn it?” asked Bristed, sneering. “Just have me to your house, and have your friends there to meet me. After that I stand or fall by my own efforts.” “Everybody would know where the money came from.” “And why the Deuce shouldn’t they know? That’s what people like you can’t see! Tell the truth about the whole affair. Tell everybody. Then they’d begin to respect you . . . There’d be a lot of benefits to you in addition to the twelve thou. If you and your folks took your rightful place, you’d have a chance to look around yourself, eh? and . . .” “No thanks!” said Bristed violently. “Oh, of course you wouldn’t sell yourself,” said Joe dryly. “But she might be a damn fine girl, though rich. It _has_ happened. I tell you straight, Bristed, it’s your only chance. You haven’t got the guts to make good in the rough and tumble of the Street. You’re too gentlemanly. Then there’s your sister . . .” “By God . . . !” said Bristed with burning eyes. “Keep your hair on,” said Joe coolly. “That is not a part of my plans.” “Don’t you mean to marry?” sneered Bristed. “If I do, I shall look higher,” said Joe, facing him down. “. . . However, I mean to thoroughly canvass the field first. I don’t want money of course. I mean to marry a girl of the very highest position who hasn’t got too much. But she’s got to be a regular top-notcher!” “I won’t have anything to do with it!” said Bristed. “Put it before your family,” said Joe, undisturbed. “You owe them that. Tell them the worst you know about me. If they want to look me over before committing themselves, all right. Then if they turn me down, why that’s all right, too. I can easy find somebody else.” “Well, I’ll tell them,” said Bristed. “But I’ll advise them against it.” “That’s all right, old man,” said Joe. “I have confidence in the ladies. They are always realists.” VI Wilfred was washing himself at the basin in his little dressing-room. He bit his lip to keep back the whistle that naturally issued at such a moment, because he had found that if he kept quiet in there, the girl in front would sometimes come into her dressing-room which adjoined. In the old house there had been a pantry running across between the two rooms, and this had been divided by the flimsiest of partitions. When he was on his side and she was on hers, it was almost as though he were in her company. She was a little brown girl, delicately rounded, with an innocent, gentle, provoking air, and a skin like peaches and cream. How delicious it was to picture her washing at her basin while he was washing at his!