"Very well," Mr. Minturn said gravely. "I'm surprised, but also pleased. Beautiful young ladies have not appealed to me so often of late that I can afford to miss the chance of humouring the most charming of her sex." "How lovely!" laughed Leslie. "Douglas, did you ever know Mr. Minturn could flatter like that? It's most enjoyable! I shall insist on more of it, at every opportunity! Really, Mr. Minturn, society has missed you of late, and it is our loss. We need men who are worth while." "Now it is you who flatter," smiled Mr. Minturn. "See my captive!" cried Leslie, as she emerged from the building and crossed the walk to the car. "Mr. Bruce and Mr. Minturn are great friends, so as we passed his door we brought him along by force." "It certainly would require that to bring him anywhere in my company," said Mrs. Minturn coldly. The shock of the cruelty of the remark closed Douglas' lips, but it was Leslie's day to bubble, so she resolutely set herself to heal and cover the hurt. "I think business is a perfect bugbear," she said as she entered the car. "I'm going to have a pre-nuptial agreement as to just how far work may trespass on Douglas' time, and how much belongs to me. I think it can be arranged. Daddy and I always have had lovely times together, and I would call him successful. Wouldn't you?" "A fine business man!" said Mr. Minturn heartily. "You could have had much greater advantages if he had made more money," said Mrs. Minturn. "The advantage of more money--yes," retorted Leslie quickly, "but would the money have been of more advantage to me than the benefits of his society and his personal hand in my rearing? I think not! I prefer my Daddy!" "When you take your place in society, as the mistress of a home, you will find that millions will not be too much," said Mrs. Minturn. "If I had millions, I'd give most of them away, and just go on living about as I do now with Daddy," said Leslie. "Leslie, where did you get bitten with this awful, common--what kind of an idea shall I call it? You haven't imbibed socialistic tendencies have you?" "Haven't a smattering of what they mean!" laughed Leslie. "The 'istics' scare me completely. Just _social_ ideas are all I have; thinking home better than any other place on earth, the way you can afford to have it. Merely being human, kind and interested in what my men are doing and enjoying, and helping any one who crosses my path and seems to need me. Oh, I get such joy, such delicious _joy_ from life." "If I were undertaking wild-eyed reform, I'd sell my car and walk, and do settlement work," said Mrs. Minturn scornfully.