"I suppose you are right," she said slowly. Then she looked up impulsively, and added: "How good you have been to us! I don’t see how we should have got through without you. We are through, aren’t we? I’m hoping you feel that you have our thanks, at least." I stepped to her side and took her hand. "I’ve asked for much more than that," I began. I intended to say a good deal more, but a diabolic click in my throat interfered with my voice, and a whirl of brain cells tangled my ideas into such inextricable confusion that I was able only to gasp out: "I want an answer to my question. I want you, and I’m going to have you." She had risen to her feet, and I was panic-stricken with the fear that she was going to run away. Then, while I was struggling to get my ideas and my vocal organs into subordination that would make them of use in this emergency, the hereditary instinct coming from some ancestor with, more courage than I--may Heaven bless him for coming into the family!--inspired my arm, and I clasped her in close embrace. She struggled for a moment. Then she looked up at me, and, my ancestor’s courage inspiring me once more, I bent down and kissed her. "Oh, it isn’t fair," she whispered in protesting accent; and I repeated the offense. "How can I answer?" she added. "You know I can’t." "There’s only one answer," I whispered in return, "and you might as well give it now." At this moment I heard a gasp, and Mercy Fillmore’s voice exclaimed in consternation: "Oh, I beg pardon--I hadn’t any idea--" At the sound, Laura whirled about and was out of my clasp, with a strength and quickness marvelous and unexpected. "You may come in, Mercy," she said with an enviable self-possession, though her face bloomed into a most admirable variety of rose-colors. "You shall be the first to congratulate us. We--we didn’t intend to announce it yet--but we are engaged to be married." Mercy gave her good wishes most prettily, and though I suspected that she considered Mr. Baldwin a more suitable match, she was kind enough not to give any hint of it, and kissed Laura, and assured me that I had won the greatest prize in the world. *EPILOGUE* Big Sam was as good as his word. As soon as Moon Ying was pronounced in a state to receive callers, his Chinese merchant abated so much of his dignity as to pay a stately visit to the Kendrick house. He fell several points below the standard of eligibility set by Miss Kendrick and Miss Fillmore. But Moon Ying asserted her individuality to the extent of approving him with such earnestness as to weep at unfavorable comments. At this demonstration of affinity, Mercy Fillmore promptly surrendered her doubts. Miss Kendrick went around with her nose tip-tilted for a full day, but as Moon Ying continued to weep, she finally said: "Well, I suppose you couldn’t expect to get anything better out of Chinatown."