“Reading that novel put me wise to things in a new way. She's been wiping her feet on me hard for a good while, and I sort of made up my mind I'd got to let her until I was sure where I was. I won't say I didn't mind it, but I could stand it. But that night she caught me looking at her, the way she looked back at me made me see all of a sudden that it would be easier for her if I told her straight that she was mistaken.” “That she is mistaken in thinking--?” “What she does think. She wouldn't have thought it if the old lady hadn't been driving her mad by hammering it in. She'd have hated me all right, and I don't blame her when I think of how poor Jem was treated; but she wouldn't have thought that every time I tried to be decent and friendly to her I was butting in and making a sick fool of myself. She's got to stay where her mother keeps her, and she's got to listen to her. Oh, hell! She's got to be told!” The duke set the tips of his fingers together. “How would you do it?” he inquired. “Just straight,” replied T. Tembarom. “There's no other way.” From the old worldling broke forth an involuntary low laugh, which was a sort of cackle. So this was what he was coming to. “I cannot think of any devious method,” he said, “which would make it less than a delicate thing to do. A beautiful young woman, whose host you are, has flouted you furiously for weeks, under the impression that you are offensively in love with her. You propose to tell her that her judgment has betrayed her, and that, as you say, `There's nothing doing.'” “Not a darned thing, and never has been,” said T. Tembarom. He looked quite grave and not at all embarrassed. He plainly did not see it as a situation to be regarded with humor. “If she will listen--” the duke began. “Oh, she'll listen,” put in Tembarom. “I'll make her.” His was a self-contradicting countenance, the duke reflected, as he took him in with a somewhat long look. One did not usually see a face built up of boyishness and maturity, simpleness which was baffling, and a good nature which could be hard. At the moment, it was both of these last at one and the same time. “I know something of Lady Joan and I know something of you,” he said, “but I don't exactly foresee what will happen. I will not say that I should not like to be present.” “There'll be nobody present but just me and her,” Tembarom answered. CHAPTER XXX