'That's right. You shall call me dear Bill the day after to-morrow. But to get forward: you may remember your mother showed Marie to her room the day she came. Well, there and then she made Marie promise never to fix a day for the wedding while George had any stupid doubts.' 'Did she promise that?' 'Yes; for she was sure from George's manner in the train that all these foolish notions had gone away for ever, whereas they had not.' 'But that was a promise somewhat like the other.' 'Bill.' 'Somewhat like the other, Bill.' 'Yes, it is somewhat like the other, but more binding. Now, George and I had a long talk over the whole position last night. He is in a dreadful state of mind. It was not the heat of this place made her faint last night. He is so confused about all that happened here he cannot remember what caused her to faint, but it must have been something he said. Now, this won't do. We can't have George eating away his heart, and Marie dying by inches.' 'But what can be done?' 'Bill.' 'But what can be done, dear Bill?' 'No. I won't have you so familiar all at once. You must not call me "dear Bill" until the day after to-morrow, or I shall have to tell you how it came to be I was called Bill by the Emperor of Morocco. You must do just what you're told; no more, no less. Now I have made up my mind to a few things; first, that there is no chance of George coming round for a little while--a few months; second, that it would be a crime to let those two hearts be wrecked for ever because of a belief which went away yesterday and will come back to-morrow; and third, that Mistress Alice is the person who can smooth away all the difficulties.' 'I--I?' 'Yes, you. Kate is going out with me for a walk, when she comes down; George has some business in the town, and Marie will not be down till luncheon. Go you to your mother; you will know how to reason with her better than I can tell you. Get her to withdraw that promise from Marie, and all will be well. We will make two bridesmaids out of you at the same time, and I'll give you a present of one of the Pharaohs whom I dug up myself in Egypt, when I was commissioned by Ismail Pasha to invent a new source for the Nile, and find out if it could not be proved the so-called Lake M[oe]ris had not been a huge skating-rink frozen by steam. I don't think I ever told you of that.' 'No. But I'll tell you what I would much rather hear. Why do you think I, of all of you, could influence my mother?'