Susie knew, partly from fragments of letters which Margaret read to her, partly from her conversation, how passionately he adored his bride; and it pleased her to see that Margaret loved him in return with a grateful devotion. The story of this visit to Paris touched her imagination. Margaret was the daughter of a country barrister, with whom Arthur had been in the habit of staying; and when he died, many years after his wife, Arthur found himself the girl’s guardian and executor. He sent her to school; saw that she had everything she could possibly want; and when, at seventeen, she told him of her wish to go to Paris and learn drawing, he at once consented. But though he never sought to assume authority over her, he suggested that she should not live alone, and it was on this account that she went to Susie. The preparations for the journey were scarcely made when Margaret discovered by chance that her father had died penniless and she had lived ever since at Arthur’s entire expense. When she went to see him with tears in her eyes, and told him what she knew, Arthur was so embarrassed that it was quite absurd. “But why did you do it?” she asked him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t think it fair to put you under any obligation to me, and I wanted you to feel quite free.” She cried. She couldn’t help it. “Don’t be so silly,” he laughed. “You owe me nothing at all. I’ve done very little for you, and what I have done has given me a great deal of pleasure.” “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.” “Oh, don’t say that,” he cried. “It makes it so much harder for me to say what I want to.” She looked at him quickly and reddened. Her deep blue eyes were veiled with tears. “Don’t you know that I’d do anything in the world for you?” she cried. “I don’t want you to be grateful to me, because I was hoping—I might ask you to marry me some day.” Margaret laughed charmingly as she held out her hands. “You must know that I’ve been wanting you to do that ever since I was ten.” She was quite willing to give up her idea of Paris and be married without delay, but Arthur pressed her not to change her plans. At first Margaret vowed it was impossible to go, for she knew now that she had no money, and she could not let her lover pay. “But what does it matter?” he said. “It’ll give me such pleasure to go on with the small allowance I’ve been making you. After all, I’m pretty well-to-do. My father left me a moderate income, and I’m making a good deal already by operating.” “Yes, but it’s different now. I didn’t know before. I thought I was spending my own money.” “If I died tomorrow, every penny I have would be yours. We shall be married in two years, and we’ve known one another much too long to change our minds. I think that our lives are quite irrevocably united.”