"And a metal is a metal. For my part, it seems quite as good a pursuit to trade in tin as in silver or gold." Aunt Marguerite gave the young man a pitying, contemptuous look, which made Louise bite her lip. "Aunt, clear," she said hurriedly, "let me give you some more tea." "I was not discussing tea, my dear, but your brother's future; and pray, my dear child," she continued, turning suddenly upon Madelaine with an irritating smile, "pray do not think I am disparaging your worthy father and his business affairs." "Oh, no, Miss Vine." "Miss _Marguerite_ Vine, my child, if you will be so good. Oh, by the way, has your father heard any news of his ship?" "Not yet, Miss Marguerite," said Madelaine quietly. "Dear me, I am very sorry. It would be so serious a loss for him, Mr Leslie, if the ship did not come safe to port." "Yes, of course," said Leslie; "but I should suppose, Miss Van Heldre, that your father is well insured." "Yes," said Madelaine quietly. "There, never mind about Van Heldre's ship," said Vine pleasantly. "Don't croak like a Cassandra, Margaret; and as to Harry, a year or two in a good solid business will not do him any harm, eh, Leslie?" "I should say it would do him a world of good." "My nephew is not to be judged in the same light as a young man who is to be brought up as a tradesman," said Aunt Marguerite, with dignity. "Only a tradesman's son, my dear." "The descendant of a long line of ennobled gentry, George; a fact you always will forget," said Aunt Marguerite, rising and leaving the room, giving Leslie, who opened the door, a _Minuet de la Cour_ courtesy on the threshold, and then rustling across the hall. Her brother took it all as a matter of course. Once that Marguerite had ceased speaking the matter dropped, to make way for something far more important in the naturalist's eyes--the contents of one of his glass aquaria; but Louise, to remove the cloud her aunt had left behind, hastily kept the ball rolling. "Don't think any more about aunt's remarks, Madelaine. Harry is a good fellow, but he would be discontented anywhere sometimes." "I do not think he would be discontented now," she replied, "if his aunt would leave him alone." "It is very foolish of him to think of what she says." "Of course it is irksome to him at first," continued Madelaine; "but my father is not exacting. It is the hours at the desk that trouble your brother most." "I wish I could see him contented," sighed Louise. "I'd give anything to see him settle down." A very simple wish, which went right to Duncan Leslie's heart, and set him thinking so deeply that for the rest of his visit he was silent, and almost constrained--a state which Madelaine noted as she rose. "Must you go so soon, dear?" said Louise consciously, for a terrible thought crossed her mind, and sent the blood surging to her cheeks-- Madelaine was scheming to leave her and the visitor alone.