Miss Lacey drew herself up under the smiling regard. "He came very near paying mine," was her unspoken thought, and she would have been astonished to know how close her companion came to reading it. "Of course that makes a difference," she returned, and she regarded her neighbor curiously, wishing she knew just what his business arrangement was with the judge. "And I would have known, too, if I'd married him," she thought. Dunham had been handling a magazine, watching for the moment when he could open it; but gaining more and more the impression that Miss Lacey felt his companionship to be a perquisite which rendered more reasonable the price of her chair, he dropped the periodical in his lap. "Well, for my part, Miss Lacey," he said, leaning his head back definitely, "I think some well-distributed extravagance isn't so disreputable." "Perhaps not," she returned, "but if you were a lone spinster without a bank account you might have your doubtful moments." There was a hint of childlike excitement in the speaker's manner which Dunham found rather touching. "Don't pretend to me that you ever have doubtful moments," he said, regarding the alert face with curiosity as to how it had appeared in those days when Judge Trent had wanted "just that one girl." "My!" exclaimed Miss Lacey. "I'm having a doubtful moment right now; not one, but dozens! I'm on the most ticklish errand of my life. That's what I called on Judge Trent about the other day." "That's right," commented Dunham gravely. "Never move without legal advice." "And if I'd had any idea I was going to meet _you_, I'd have brought your handkerchief. I've done it up as smooth as satin." "How good of you!" "And it's pretty near as fine as satin, too; and that worked monogram is a beauty; but it's lucky you're a lawyer, for it would take one to figure out what the letters are;--but you needn't tell your sweetheart I said so." Dunham laughed. "I won't. It would break her heart." "Don't you ever wipe off chairs with it again. It's wicked," declared Miss Lacey emphatically. "Then don't you ever come into the office and give me heart failure by your unkind comments." "I don't know as I ever shall," returned Miss Lacey, suddenly pensive and looking into space. "The other day I was clear out of Judge Trent's office and into the street, and it was too late to go back, before I realized that I'd scarcely got three words from him that were really definite or any use to me. Has he mentioned to you anything about a niece of his who has come to Boston? I suppose he hasn't." "Yes, he has."