"Too late now," he cried, and he hurried away. "Oh!" ejaculated Louise, as she stood gazing after him with her cheeks burning. "No," she said, after a pause; "It was only a threat; he would not dare." "Harry gone to his office?" said Vine, entering the room. "Yes, dear." "Mr Pradelle gone too?" "Yes, dear; fishing, I think." "Hum. Makes this house quite his home." "Yes, papa! and do you think we are doing right?" "Eh?" said Vine sharply, as he dragged his mind back from where it had gone under a tide-covered rock. "Oh, I see, about having that young man here. Well, Louie, it's like this: I don't want to draw the rein too tightly. Harry is at work now, and keeping to it. Van Heldre says his conduct is very fair. Harry likes Mr Pradelle, and they are old companions, so I feel disposed to wink at the intimacy, so long as our boy keeps to his business." "Perhaps you are right, dear," said Louise. "You don't like Mr Pradelle, my dear?" "No, I do not." "No fear of his robbing me of you, eh?" "Oh, father!" "That's right; that's right; and look here, as we're talking about that little thing which makes the world go round, please, understand this, and help me, my dear. There's to be no nonsense between Harry and Madelaine." "Then you don't like Madelaine?" "Eh? What? Not like her? Bless her! You've almost cause to be jealous, only you need not be, for I've room in my heart for both of you. I love her too well to let her be made uncomfortable by our family scape-grace. Dear me! I'm sure that it has." "Have you lost anything, dear?" "Yes, a glass stopper. Perhaps I left it in my room. Mustn't lose it; stoppers cost money." "And here's some money of yours, father." "Eh? Oh, that change." "Twenty-five shillings." "Put it on the chimney-piece, my dear; I'll take it presently. We will not be hard on Harry. Let him have his companion. We shall get him round by degrees. Ah, here comes some one to tempt you away." In effect Madelaine was passing the window on her way to the front entrance; but Vine forgot all about his glass stopper for the moment, and threw open the glass door. "Come in here, my dear," he said. "We were just talking about you." "About me, Mr Vine? Whatever were you saying?" "Slander of course, of course." "My father desired to be kindly remembered, and I was to say, `Very satisfactory so far.'" "Very satisfactory so far?" said Vine, dreamily. "He said you would know what it meant." "To be sure--to be sure. Louie, my dear, I'm afraid your aunt is right. My brain is getting to be like that of a jelly fish." He nodded laughingly and left the room. "Did you meet Harry as you came?" said Louise, as soon as they were alone. "Yes; but he kept on one side of the street, and I was on the other." "Didn't he cross over to speak?" "No; he couldn't see the Dutch fraulein--the Dutch doll." "Oh, that's cruel, Maddy. I did not think my aunt's words could sting you."