Ted said heavily, "It’s an awful responsibility." She stopped in the middle of a laugh. "Anyway—in any case—" she said, "you—oh, how good you are, Ted!" "Good Heavens!" he ejaculated. "Why don’t you put me up on a pedestal and worship me?" He spoke with strong irritation. "Oh, how rude you are! You English are queer! Denis can do with any amount of gratitude." "Well, I’m not Denis," he grumped. "Your father’s not likely to sell out, is he?" "No, no one’d buy the shares, you know," Denis replied confidently. But Ted had inherited somewhat of his father’s business faculty. "Don’t be an ass, O.B.!" he ejaculated. "Some chap might scent that they’re likely to go up, and offer to buy them of your governor." "Oh, Denis, and dad would sell them for _nothing_!" Nell cried. "Oh, what shall we do? He’d never suspect—he thinks they’re worth nothing. Ted, tell us what to do!" "We must cable to him," Denis put in. "Where’s my hat? I’m off!" "Oh, do wait for me. Do let me come, too!" She fled into her bedroom. She dragged out a coat. Sheila Pat was folding up her nightgown. "Are you goin’ out?" she demanded. "Yes. Find me a hat, there’s a sweet." Sheila Pat crawled under the bed, and dived into a hatbox. "Where are you goin’? I’ll come, too." Nell dissembled badly. "Oh, we—we’re only going just out—for a little while. Give me a hat, Atom." Sheila Pat handed it to her in silence; she studied Nell’s superlatively guilty face with calm disapproval. "Why don’t you own up that you’re doin’ somethin’ secret?" she queried disdainfully. "Oh, don’t be silly, Atom! Oh, why _won’t_ my hat go on?" "I’m comin’ too," Sheila Pat said, and she smiled a little triumphant smile. "Oh!" said Nell. Sheila Pat went to the wardrobe, and lifted down her coat. Nell kicked one of her boots beneath the chest of drawers. "I can see what you’re doin’," said Sheila Pat, calmly. Nell began to laugh. "You can come if you’re ready to start when we are, but we won’t wait," she said, and ran out of the room. A cold little voice pursued her. "I was only pertendin’; I never intrude where I’m not wanted." Nell hardened her heart. She burst into the Stronghold. "Do come! Oh, every moment’s precious!" As they went downstairs Denis said, "Lancaster’s been pointing out that of course we may be advising the Pater quite wrong—" "How, Denis? Oh, _how_?" She wrinkled her brows anxiously. "The shares mayn’t go up, you see." "Oh, that!" she cried relieved. "Yes, I know." "But, by telling him to hold on, we should stop his selling if he got a chance and if they don’t go up—oh, you see, don’t you?" She nodded. They let themselves out into the street in silence. "I wanted you to understand," Denis said. "Yes." She looked down abstractedly at her thin house-slippers, which she had forgotten to change. "I want to send the cablegram," she said. "I want to take the risk." "That’s all right. So do I."