“I shouldn’t do my worst,” said the banker, “where Nature has been so generous.” “It seems,” observed Susie meditatively, “that I’m your deliberate choice as a foil for your sister-in-law, by sheer force of my unattractiveness.” “I’m slightly nearsighted,” replied the banker. “It’s a frightful handicap.” “I can see that glasses would be unbecoming to you.” “The matter of eyes,” said the banker, stroking a lion, “is not one I should trust myself to discuss with you. Do you mind telling me what you’re doing here?” “Cutting the leaves in the books and making a card catalogue. I use the typewriter with a dexterity that has been admired.” “A person of education, clearly.” “French and German were required by my college; and I speak English with only a slight Onondaga accent, as you observe.” Her essential Susiness seemed to be communicating itself to the banker. His chauffeur loosened a raucous blast of the horn warningly. “I fear your time is wasted. The Logans will never read those books. It’s possible that the hand of Fate guided me across the lawn to deliver you from the lions. The thought pleases me. To continue our confidences, I will say that, noble woman though my wife is, her sister has at times annoyed me. And when I left Little Boar’s Head I saw that Pendleton suspected that we were trying to kidnap him.” “And I take it that the natural fellow-feeling of man for man would mitigate your sorrow if the gentleman whom your wife is carrying home in a birdcage should not, in fact, become your brother-in-law.” “It would be indelicate for me to go so far as that; but Floy has always had a snippy way with me. I should like to see her have to work for the prize.” “My dinner frock is three years old, but I’ll see what I can do to become a natural hazard. You’d better move upon the station--the blasts of that horn are not soothing to the nerves.” III