"I mean the awful possibility of Miss Cynthia Meyrick's changing her mind." Again silence, save for the riveting machine outside. And three men looking unbelievingly at one another. "Of course," his lordship went on hastily, "it is understood that I personally am very eager for this wedding to take place. It is understood that in the interval before the ceremony I shall do all in my power to keep Miss Meyrick to her present intention. Should the marriage be abandoned because of any act of mine, I would be ready to forfeit all claims on Lloyds." Mr. Thacker recovered his breath and his voice at one and the same time. "Preposterous," he snorted. "Begging your lordship's pardon, you can not expect hard-headed business men to listen seriously to any such proposition as that. Tushery, sir, tushery! Speaking as the American representative of Lloyds--" "One moment," interrupted Mr. Jephson. In his eyes shone a queer light--a light such as one might expect to find in the eyes of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. "One moment, please. What sum had you in mind, Lord Harrowby?" "Well--say one hundred thousand pounds," suggested his lordship. "I realize that my proposition is fantastic. I really admitted as much. But--" "One hundred thousand pounds." Mr. Jephson repeated it thoughtfully. "I should have to charge your lordship a rather high rate. As high as ten per cent." Lord Harrowby seemed to be in the throes of mental arithmetic. "I am afraid," he said finally, "I could not afford one hundred thousand at that rate. But I could afford--seventy-five thousand. Would that be satisfactory, Mr. Jephson?" "Jephson," cried Mr. Thacker wildly. "Are you mad? Do you realize--" "I realize everything, Thacker," said Jephson calmly. "I have your lordship's word that the young lady is at present determined on this alliance? And that you will do all in your power to keep her to her intention?" "You have my word," said Lord Harrowby. "If you should care to telegraph--" "Your word is sufficient," said Jephson. "Mr. Minot, will you be kind enough to bring me a policy blank?" "See here, Jephson," foamed Thacker. "What if this thing should get into the newspapers? We'd be the laughing-stock of the business world." "It mustn't," said Jephson coolly. "It might," roared Thacker. Mr. Minot arrived with a blank policy, and Mr. Jephson sat down at the young man's desk. "One minute," said Thacker. "The faith of you two gentlemen in each other is touching, but I take it the millennium is still a few years off." He drew toward him a blank sheet of paper, and wrote. "I want this thing done in a businesslike way, if it's to be done in my office." He handed the sheet of paper to Lord Harrowby. "Will you read that, please?" he said.