"Not a bit!" said the Boy. "That sort of rot isn't proper pride. It's just selfish false pride. However much a woman had, when a man--a _man_, mind you, not an old woman, or a _thing_ with no pluck or vertebra--when a man gives a woman his whole love, his whole life, the worship of his whole body, heart, and soul, he has given her that which no money could buy; and were she a millionairess she would still be poor if, from false pride, he robbed her of that gift which was his to give her--and perhaps his alone." "Boy dear," she said, gently; "it sounds very plausible. But it is so easy to be plausible with fifty thousand a year in the background. Let me tell you about the Professor. He has, of course, his fellowship, and is quite comfortably off now, living as a bachelor, in rooms. But he practically supports his unmarried sister, considerably older than himself, who lives in a tiny little villa, and keeps one maid. The Professor could not afford to marry, and set up a larger establishment, on his present income; at least he apparently thinks he could not. And your theory of robbing the woman who--the woman he loves, does not appear to have occurred to him. But, during all these years he has been compiling an Encyclopedia--I don't suppose you know what an Encyclopedia is, Boy." "Oh, don't I?" said the Boy. "It's a thing you pile up on the floor to stand upon when you want to fix a new pipe-rack." Miss Charteris ignored this trying definition of an Encyclopedia. "The Professor is compiling a wonderful book," she said, with dignity; "and, when it is completed and published, he will be in a position to marry." "Has he told you so?" inquired the Boy. "No, Boy. He has never mentioned the subject of marriage to me. But he has told his sister; and she has told me." "Ha!" said the Boy. "Miss _H_ann, I suppose. I must say, I distrust Miss _H_ann." "What do _you_ know of Miss Ann?" inquired Christobel, astonished. "Only that she's always a-_h_egging of 'em on," said the Boy, calmly. The indignant blood rushed into the fair proud face. "Boy! You've been gossiping with Martha." "I have, dear; I admit it. You see, I arrived early, on the third day; found the garden empty; went gaily into the house to look for you. Ran up into the hall; when up got a pair of old goloshes--eh, what? Oh, sorry--up got a pair of _new_ goloshes, and hit me in the eye! A professor's cap and gown hung up, as if at home; and while I meditated upon these things, the voice of my Belovèd was uplifted in loud and sonorous Greek, exclaiming: 'Avaunt, rash youth! Thou impudent intruder!' Can you wonder that I avaunted--to Martha?" "You will please tell me at once all Martha said to you."