"Ah! my dears," said Van Heldre cheerily. "Tired out." "You must be," said Mrs Van Heldre, bustling about him to take his hat and gloves. "Here, do come and sit down." The merchant went into the drawing-room very readily, and submitted to several little pleasant attentions from wife and daughter. Evening came on with Van Heldre seated in his easy-chair, thoughtfully watching wife and daughter; both of whom had work in their laps; but Mrs Van Heldre's was all a pretence, for, after a few stitches, her head began to nod forward, then back against the cushion, and then, as if by magic, she was fast asleep. Madelaine's needle, however, flew fast, and she went on working, with her father watching her attentively, till she raised her eyes. "You want to say something to me, Maddy," he said in a low voice. "Yes, papa." "About your walk down on the beach?" Madelaine nodded. "You know I went." "Yes; I saw you, and Luke Vine came and told me as well." "It was very kind of him," said Madelaine, with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Kind and unkind, my dear. You see he has no business--nothing to do but to think of other people. But he means well, my dear, and he likes you." "I have often thought so." "Yes; and you were right. He warned me that I was not to let your intimacy grow closer with his nephew." "Indeed, papa!" "Yes, my dear. He said that I was a--well, I will not tell you what, for not stopping it directly, for that Harry was rapidly drifting into a bad course--that it was a hopeless case." "That is not the way to redeem him, father." "No, my clear, it is not. But you were going to say something to me?" "Yes," said Madelaine, hesitating. Then putting down her work she rose and went to her father's side, knelt down, and resting her arms upon his knees, looked straight up in his face. "Well, Maddy?" "I wanted to speak to you about Harry." There was a slight twitching about the merchant's brows, but his face was calm directly, and he said coolly-- "What about Harry Vine?" Madelaine hesitated for a few moments, and then spoke out firmly and bravely. "I have been thinking about his position, father, and of how sad it is for him to be wasting his days as he is down here." "Very sad, Maddy. He is, as Luke Vine says, going wrong. Well?" "I have been thinking, papa, that you might take him into your office and give him a chance of redeeming the past." "Nice suggestion, my dear. What would old Crampton say?" "Mr Crampton could only say that you had done a very kind act for the son of your old friend." "Humph! Well?" "You could easily arrange to take him, papa, and with your firm hand over him it would do an immense deal of good." "Not to me." There was a pause, and Van Heldre gazed into his child's unblenching eyes. "So we are coming at facts," he said at last. "Harry asked you to interfere on his behalf?" Madelaine shook her head and smiled. "Is this your own idea?" "Entirely."