“I do not hesitate in the least, sir,” she answered confidently. “I want to import our stock directly from England; but heretofore we have not had money enough to do so. We have orders now that we cannot fill, and they are increasing daily, especially for certain shade-trees and hedge-shrubs.” Clara was a little surprised at the daring spirit of Susie, to whose lead in business, however, she always submitted. The little woman was developing a most wonderful executive ability. She was heart and soul interested in her business; and so it came to pass that the count honored, what Mr. Kendrick called, the “Dykes & Delano paper.” “I confess,” said Clara, smiling, “that I do tremble a little at the idea of giving Madam Susie ‘a wider swing,’ as papa calls it.” “Madam Susie,” echoed Min, “that was what Annie always called mamma.” “And so does auntie also, when she speaks of her outside,” said Clara. This relieved the count of an uncertainty, for he did not like to call her Mrs. Dykes, and politeness forbade him to call her Miss. Not noticing these last remarks, Susie said: “There has been a great demand here for pot-plants this spring, and I must confess we ask outrageous prices, but you see there is no competition, and as we’ve got so fine a start, I do not fear a rival, unless some one appears with unlimited capital.” The count laughed. “Commercial magnanimity,” he said, “is a fiction, and commercial honesty is little better than playing confessedly with loaded dice; but it does me good, Madam Susie, to see women getting hold of the dice-boxes that men have so long wielded.” “Almost all men believe,” said Susie, “that women’s industrial and commercial capacities are restricted by nature to very small, safe, light, feminine operations, like the conduct of a peanut stand. Now I’ve been haggling with Betterton, the importer, about hedge-shrubs for the last month. He has made us his last offer, and I _know_ he thinks we are at his mercy. To-night I give him my answer. I shall write, thanking him for his slight concession in the matter of price, and decline, on the ground that the firm of Dykes & Delano have decided to open negotiations with foreign houses direct.” Susie’s eyes were bright with triumph. “Good! Good!” exclaimed the count, as they rose from the table. “I haven’t enjoyed such a satisfaction for years as that speech affords me. Go ahead boldly. Upon my honor, I’d rather lose out and out a million than to see you fail. But you must not fail. I pledge you to that amount that you _shall_ not,” and he gave Susie his hand. Clara was very silent, but Susie could not conceal her triumph. It beamed from every part of her, like the light from a flame. After dinner they walked through the conservatory, and over the nursery plantation, where some men were engaged taking young pear-trees from their “heeling-in” rows, and packing them in bundles for the buyers. Susie looked at the little wooden labels tied on each tree.