When they were well out of earshot, he spoke. “Look here, my dear Leonard, I hope you don’t mind me calling you by your Christian name, but I think we are now intimate enough to excuse the liberty.” “Not in the least,” answered Lydon, who wondered what was coming. “Thanks. I want to tell you that I’m not blind, neither is my sister. You are in love with Gloria, aren’t you?” Leonard was rather taken aback by the direct question. In his confusion he could not make any coherent reply. “I am,” he stammered, “But, of course, I--I--I----” He could not finish the sentence. “I quite understand, my dear fellow,” said Stormont, his broad rubicund face relaxing into a smile. “You admit you love Gloria. I wanted you to be quite frank and open with me in the matter. I don’t wonder at it, for she is a sweet girl, one out of a thousand, charming, honest, open as the day. Well, I will let you into a little secret. If my observations are correct, I believe she returns your affection. My sister thinks so too, and women can read each other pretty well as a rule.” He spoke in his hearty, breezy way. In spite of Craig’s caustic criticism of him, there was something engaging about the personality of the homely-looking man. Lydon could not help flushing. “It makes me inexpressibly happy, sir, to hear you say that. I take it, from your telling me so much, that you do not disapprove. Have I your permission to speak to Miss Stormont?” “When and as soon as you please,” was the hearty response, “I had half made up my mind to tell you yesterday. I wish I had; I dare say by now I should have been congratulating you and my niece. Personally I am very pleased that you have fixed your affections on Gloria. So is Mrs. Barnard, who is a shrewd judge of character. In common with myself, she likes you very much and thinks you would make an excellent husband. Well, I can’t say more, can I? Run down here again next week, and fix it up. Come as often as you like. My sister and I love young people about the house.” Lydon thanked him in warm terms for having made his wooing so easy. True, Gloria had not yet revealed her feelings, but in his heart he had not much doubt as to what they were. But Stormont had not yet said all he wanted. As they drew near to the lodge gates, where the car was waiting, he motioned the young man to a halt. “Just a little something more, to make everything plain and clear. Very possibly you have thought that Gloria is the niece of a rich man and will come into a tidy sum when I die?” The young man interrupted him hastily. “I assure you, on my word of honour, Mr. Stormont, I never speculated on such a contingency. If I gave it a thought, I was rather depressed by the circumstance than otherwise. I felt a natural reluctance to ask a girl brought up so luxuriously to share a very modest fortune.”