Her movement had seemed to Mary as a sign that the interview was ending, but the laughter chilled her. She also rose, and stood before her hostess. "You don't know him?" she tremulously inquired. "I think," said Marian, "that I used to know somebody by some such name, but I do not know him now. He need not disturb himself, and when you see him you need not disturb him by saying that you spoke of this to me." "Oh, I won't see him," Mary assured her. "It ain't likely I'll ever see see him again." Marian's eyes searched her, but they detected nothing disingenuous. "You have quarreled?" she demanded. "No, only he wanted me to testify against Miss Rose, an' I was too scared. I just hid myself." There was a simple appeal in the bare words that brought their hearer to her better self. Within her there burned a new and mounting fire, but her face was cool and her actions were reasoned. "Mary," she said, determined to sink herself and to be true to her code, "I am very sorry to have heard all this. I am sorry that I seemed harsh when I said you had not been quite honest with us." "But I hadn't been, Miss Lennox." "It was not altogether your fault if you weren't, Mary. I begin to see that it must be rather hard, sometimes, to be quite honest." "It is, sometimes." "But you have been honest now with me, and I want to help you. I want you to come around here in the way I described. I want you to come often." She paused, and then, as Mary did not respond, she added: "Will you?" Mary's eyes were on the floor. "Do you think you can get me a job?" she asked. "Do you think anyone can?" Marian had thought nothing about it. "Why, really, I don't know, Mary. But I suppose so. Anyhow, I'll see what I can do--though of course I shouldn't feel justified in procuring you a position under false pretenses. You understand that?" "Yes," said Mary, "I understand." "And, at any rate, you will come around to-morrow?" Still Mary did not look up. "You will come?" repeated Marian. "Yes, Miss Lennox," said Mary. "Very well, then: to-morrow afternoon." Something in the girl's attitude made Marian uneasy. She insisted on her point, but again Mary was slow to answer, and again Marian asked: "Will you?" "Yes, Miss Lennox." "At five o'clock, Mary." "I'll try, Miss Lennox." "Promise." Mary stepped to the door. She looked up and put out her hand, but, although Marian saw this, and started to respond, the settlement-worker's hand fell back to her side. Mary seemed first to observe and then not at all to have observed it. "I promise," she said quietly, and left the room and the house.