"There!" She was quite eager in her agreement. "That's just the impression he gives me. I felt it the first time I saw him." "Then why do you have him here?" The note of reprimand was unconscious, but to the young girl it was plain and her heart thrilled in response to its authority. "We needed an extra man for our dinner--the dinner that you refused to come to." She laughed at him in roguish triumph, and it was indescribably charming. He joined in, shame-faced, mumbling something about his work. "So you see, Mr. Burrage," she said, "in a sort of way it was your fault." "It's not my fault that he keeps on coming." "No, I guess that's mine. I ask him and he has to pay a call. He's _very_ polite about that." She laughed again, delighted at this second chance, but now he did not join in. Instead he became gravely urgent, much more so than so slight a matter demanded. "But look here, Miss Alston, what's the sense of doing that? What's the sense of having a person round you don't like?" She gave a deprecating shrug. "Oh, well, it's not as bad as all that. I have really nothing against him; he's always entertaining and pleasant and makes things go off well. It's just my own feeling; I have no reason. I can't discriminate against him because of that." Mark was silent. It was hateful to him to hear her blaming herself, offering excuses for the truth of her instinct. But he had agreed with Crowder not to tell her, and anyway he had satisfied himself as to her sentiments--she was proof against Mayer's poisonous charm. At this stage he could enlighten her no further; all that now remained for him to do was to give her a hint of that guardianship to which he was pledged. "It's a big responsibility for you, running a place like this, letting the right people in and keeping the wrong ones out." "It is, and I don't suppose I do it very well. It was all so new and I was so green." "Well, it's not a girl's job. You ought to have a watch dog. How would I answer?" She smiled. "What would you do--bay on the front steps every time Mr. Mayer came?" "That's right--show my teeth so he couldn't get at the bell. But, joking apart, I'd like you to look upon me that way--I mean if you ever wanted anyone to consult with. You're just two girls--you might need a man's help--things come up." The smile died from her lips. She was surprised, gratefully, sweetly surprised. "Oh, Mr. Burrage, that's very kind of you." "No, it's not. The kindness would be on your side, the way it has been right along. I'd think a lot of it if you'd let me feel that if you wanted help or advice, or anything of that kind, you'd ask it of me." Had she looked at him the impassioned earnestness of his face would have increased her surprise. But she was looking at the tassel on the chair arm, drawing its strands slowly through her fingers. "Perhaps I will some day," she murmured.