To this, Mrs. Livingston, whose business had been to pour oil upon the troubled waters for the last day or two, says suddenly: "Oliver, I am going shopping. Won't you accompany me?" and the young man, having some little idea that perhaps he is not advancing his cause very much by this battle, rises to go with her. As he goes, he cannot refrain from firing a parting shot. He says, "Ask Ferdie what mining men say about your friend's prospects." And so goes away, while Miss Travenion turns a face that is anxious upon Mr. Chauncey. "Well," says the boy, "all agree that, though Lawrence owns the mine, he will be ruined for lack of money to grease the wheels of justice." "This shall not be!" cries the girl, in so strange a tone of voice that Ferdie gasps, "What do you mean?" "I mean that it shall not be!" answers Miss Travenion. Then one of those ideas that are called Quixotic by the world, but which make it nearer to heaven, coming into this young lady's bright mind and generous heart, she looks at her watch and says, "I am going for a walk." "Take me for an escort?" suggests Ferdinand, who is always happy to promenade the streets by the side of Miss Beauty, for he knows that it makes others envy him. "No," says the girl shortly, "I am going alone. I have a little business errand," and so departs, straight for the business portion of the town, her eyes big with purpose, though there are tears in them as she mutters, "Alone in his trouble, but I'll help him defeat that villain Tranyon." Coming back from this journey, excited, dusty and tired, about half-past one, she says to her maid, "Quick! A white gown--something cool--something breezy; I'm excited and warm!" and, curiously enough, trembles a little as she is assisted into a light summer toilet. Then inspecting her watch she murmurs, "Two o'clock. He should be here;" next thinks, "What shall I say to him? I must make this a business interview," and racks her brain for some business to talk about. A moment after blushes come to her, for she gets to thinking of her remark about fairy tales of the night before, and mutters to herself, "Good heavens! Will he think me unwomanly?" and once or twice hopes he will not come, and looking at her watch finds it is after two, and is very much disappointed that he has not called. So, after a time, getting very much excited over this matter, Erma goes down into the general parlor of the hotel, where she will be compelled to receive Harry Lawrence, for at that time the Townsend House had very few rooms _en suite_. But at the door, chancing to see a sparkling thing on the third finger of her left hand, she gasps, "My!" and tears it off. Then she laughs, "How lucky! He might have thought it an engagement ring, and Oliver's horrid fib a truth," and so pockets the bauble, going to the window of the room to look out upon the sidewalk and see if her swain is in view.