“Oh, yes,” said the Goodwood Plunger, nodding, “I see now. You want me to take him away so that he can keep what he has. I see; but I don't know him. He will not listen to me, you know; I have no right to interfere.” He turned away, rubbing his hand across his forehead. He wished so much that this woman would leave him by himself. “Ah, but, sir,” cried the girl, desperately, and touching his coat, “you who are so fortunate, and so rich, and of the great world, you cannot feel what this is to me. To have my own little shop and to be free, and not to slave, and sew, and sew until my back and fingers burn with the pain. Speak to him, sir; ah, speak to him! It is so easy a thing to do, and he will listen to you.” The Goodwood Plunger turned again abruptly. “Where is he?” he said. “Point him out to me.” The woman ran ahead, with a murmur of gratitude, to the open door and pointed to where her husband was standing leaning over and placing some money on one of the tables. He was a handsome young Frenchman, as _bourgeois_ as his wife, and now terribly alive and excited. In the self-contained air of the place and in contrast with the silence of the great hall he seemed even more conspicuously out of place. The Plunger touched him on the arm, and the Frenchman shoved the hand off impatiently and without looking around. The Plunger touched him again and forced him to turn toward him. “Well!” said the Frenchman, quickly. “Well?” “Madame, your wife,” said Cecil, with the grave politeness of an old man, “has done me the honor to take me into her confidence. She tells me that you have won a great deal of money; that you could put it to good use at home, and so save yourselves much drudgery and debt, and all that sort of trouble. You are quite right if you say it is no concern of mine. It is not. But really, you know there is a great deal of sense in what she wants, and you have apparently already won a large sum.” The Frenchman was visibly surprised at this approach. He paused for a second or two in some doubt, and even awe, for the disinherited one carried the mark of a personage of consideration and of one whose position is secure. Then he gave a short, unmirthful laugh. “You are most kind, sir,” he said with mock politeness and with an impatient shrug. “But madame, my wife, has not done well to interest a stranger in this affair, which, as you say, concerns you not.”