"No. Someone else told her, not he. And the house, though it's simple, is the house of a rich man, she says. I should have been there by this time, if you hadn't wired me you were coming here to get my advice before--before deciding what to do next. And--besides, I was a _little_ delayed by the visit of a _charming_ Comtesse de Sorel who came to Los Angeles, and thought she might be distantly related to poor dear Louis. We fagged up the family tree together. It appears that Louis just missed being a comte himself, by descent, because of--ah--a family accident: a marriage that didn't take place. Think of the difference to us if----" "I'm thinking of the difference to me because of a marriage that did take place!" Severance cut her short. "I shall start for the Grand Canyon at once. I suppose there's an hotel there." "Marise says there's a _dream_ of an hotel, close to the abyss, or whatever you call it. The name is El Tovar, after some old Spanish general who seems to have been even more of a brute than Garth. You'll go there--naturally. Yet I thought from what you said that all was over--that you couldn't _pay_ Garth, and----" "I'll do something! You don't suppose I'm going to stand quietly by and leave him in possession, do you?" "Well, he's not exactly in _possession_. To put it like that is to exaggerate----" "He's got the legal power of a husband over Marise, and, one way or another, he'll have to be kicked out!" "That, at least, will be something to the good--if you succeed, dear boy. But this terrible disappointment over the money.... What _do_ you think of doing?" Severance put into words what he thought of doing. Mums listened earnestly, weighing each pro and con as he talked. For a wonder, she didn't interrupt. It was only when he had finished and awaited an opinion that she spoke. "Very good! Very good indeed!" she praised him. "It seems to me that you've analysed the man's character, and formed your plan on the analysis. Marise--ah, well, _she's_ more complicated than he is, of course! But I think this idea of yours will appeal to her romantic side. Like all girls, she _is_ romantic." "Everything depends upon how she feels towards me," said Severance. "She did care a little--once. You don't think that what I--what's happened has changed her?" "I don't see why it should have done," answered Mary. "After all, she consented." "I'm afraid your influence was for something in that!" "Naturally a mother has influence. But Marise's mind is her own. She's very individual. Besides, the time is so short since then." Yes, Mums was right there! The time was short--very short. Only a few weeks had passed since the day when Marise had been persuaded to accept the first Great Plan, though it felt more like several years. She couldn't have changed--unless association with a man like Garth had made her value Severance more than ever.