"My dear people,"--Owain being between them took an arm of each,--"if you like you can pay me back on some future occasion. Zara, your mother will bother me to marry you until some barrier is raised which will prevent your being my possible wife. At present, as you have stated, you are not able to marry for want of money. Now if I give you this thousand pounds, which I can very easily spare, I want you to get married quietly. When your mother learns that you are Mrs. Bracken she will leave me alone. Then you can give her a sum of money to live on in the meantime and will be able to rest on your oars and look about for a better engagement. You see?" "Yes," said Zara gratefully. "I see, and I am very much obliged. If I can give my mother half the money she will go to her people in Buda Pesth and amuse herself with gambling. Then with five hundred pounds Ned and and I can manage to get to the West End. Money always brings money, and I am sure that I could get an engagement." "Didn't your mother go in search of one for you?" asked Hench, nodding. Zara's lip curled and she looked more disdainful than ever. "My mother said that she went, but she never did." Hench started. "She was absent for a few days, I remember." "Yes. On business, she told me. But what her business was I never knew. It had nothing to do with an engagement, however, or I should have known." Of course Owain knew very well on what business Madame Alpenny had been engaged, but he was wise enough to make no remark. Also at the moment his attention was distracted by Bracken, who had been thinking in his heavy way. "If you will allow Zara and me to pay you back the money with interest at five per cent," he observed, reflectively, "we don't mind--eh, Zara?" "No," she rejoined promptly. "I shall take the money with pleasure then, as it will certainly help us to get married in spite of my mother's opposition. I am very grateful for your kind help, Mr. Hench." "I am only doing what I ought to do," said Owain frankly. "You have done me a good turn, so it is only right that I should do you and Bracken one. I shall see my lawyers next week and arrange for the money to be paid to you by cheque, or in notes, or gold, whichever you prefer." "Say a cheque, Hench," remarked Bracken, with a sigh of relief. "I have a banking account. It's a very small one--still, it is a banking account." "Good. I will call at The Home of the Muses some day next week with the cheque, and meantime you can see about getting married." "Oh, Ned!" cried Zara. "Oh, Zara!" cried Ned, and they embraced, even though they were in sight of the drawing-room windows. "Well," said Hench philosophically, "I have made two people happy, anyhow." "We will be happier if you are happy yourself, you generous man," said Zara. "Oh, that's all right," replied Hench hurriedly, for he did not wish to be thanked or praised. "Come and have some tea. We'll keep this little arrangement to ourselves."