“If you mean that I must suggest to her that she is ailing--” “Precisely. The idea is not to frighten her to death, my dear young woman with the beautiful but suspicious eyes, but simply to induce her to send for her only daughter, so that afterward the two will not be separated. And the old lady, I may say for the benefit of your still suspicious eyes, is not very rich, though the daughter is. So your imagination need not invent any devilish plot. I think you can accomplish your work in six weeks. For every day under the six weeks you will receive five pounds. That's twenty-five dollars a day. That is intended, Miss Keogh, to make you hurry. But you must be tactful.” “Make it a fixed sum. You look like a clever man.” She looked at him challengingly. He stared back, and gradually a look of admiration came into his eyes. He said, with a smile of appreciation: “You win! You are certainly the most wonderful girl in the world! I'll make it one thousand dollars, win, lose, or draw. But the quicker the cablegram--” “--grams,” she corrected--“plural. For greater effect at this end!” “--grams!” he echoed. “And now you must come with me to the bank to get your letter of credit and some English money. I'll pay in advance.” He rose. Miss Keogh motioned to him to sit down again. He did so, and looked at her alertly. It might have disconcerted some girls--but not the only absolutely perfect one. Not at all! “There remains something,” she said. “What?” he queried, sharply. “You forgot it!” she told him, with one of those utterly maddening smiles of forgiveness with which beautiful women rivet the fetters and make one grateful. “What? What?” he asked, impatiently. “Why?” she answered. “That is what! Why?” Her beautiful head nodded twice with a birdlike gracefulness. Her eyes were very blight--and very dark! Her cheeks were flushed. Her ripe lips, slightly parted, were overpoweringly tempting. Jerningham stood up again and stared fixedly at her as though he would read miles and miles beyond her wonderful eyes--into the very depths of her soul! He approached her and held out both his hands. After a scarcely perceptible hesitation she placed hers in his. He shook them with profound gravity; then bowed and raised her right to his lips--and kissed it twice. Still holding her hands in his, he said to her, earnestly: “My dear child, you are the most wonderful woman in all the world. You are simply the last word in utter perfection. I am a millionaire, but not a crook. I am forty, but still strong. I have never been in love with a woman; but I now know I could be. If you ever wish to marry for the ease and comfort that great wealth gives, or if you ever feel like using your wonderful gifts to make a man who has both money and brains become an important personage in the world--just say the word. There is nothing--nothing, do you hear?--that we could not do together, you and I. My name is--” He paused and looked at her as if to make sure again.