"You were right. I did! 'Just from pure devilment.' In the same way that Miss Marks got work with me. She must have been enjoying herself these days!" "She's a nice girl," Garth defended the absent. "Oh, I don't mean to discharge her. There's no reason why I should. She's useful to me. I shan't seem to know anything about this. But I wanted to ask you." "I'm mighty pleased you did," said the man. "I'd have been--just what your friend calls me, if I'd sent her to get an engagement with you." Colour stole into Marise's pale cheeks. She had been more interested in the subject of her secretary's connection with Garth than she had expected to be when bringing it up, and for a few minutes had actually forgotten the loathed burden on her heart. "Let's say no more about Miss Marks!" the girl exclaimed. "My inviting you to call to-day had nothing to do with her. I only thought I'd--clear the air." "Is it cleared now?" Garth wanted to know. "I hope it is. If not----" "Oh, it is--quite!" "Then you're ready to tell me the real thing you have to say?" "Ye--es.... Only I...." She paused. Her lips had gone so dry that she could hardly speak. Her brain felt dry, too--desiccated. She had not thought it would be like this. Stage-fright--the worst attack of stage-fright she could remember--had not been worse. Yet she cared little or nothing for this man's opinion, she reminded herself, except as it concerned the plan. "I--it's very difficult." "Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered eagerly. Marise caught at his words. "That's just it! There's a very big thing you can do to help." "You know I'll do it," Garth volunteered. "You know that, because there's nothing I wouldn't do. I told you so yesterday." "If you hadn't, I should not have sent for you to-day." "I wish you wanted me to kill somebody for you." (She guessed, by the fierce gleam in his eyes, what "body"!) "I'd go to 'the chair' singing." "Oh!" she laughed feebly. "It's not as bad as that." (But wasn't it?) "You--you said several things here yesterday afternoon. One was, that you----" "That I love you! Was that what you mean?" "Yes." "Well, it's the same to-day. Only more so." "Even after--I'm afraid I was very selfish and thoughtless. I wasn't as nice to you as I ought to have been, after I'd got you to come, and--and----" "You weren't nice to me at all," Garth gave her the truth bluntly. "I went away trying to hate you, but I didn't bring it off. Hate, if it starts from love, is a good deal like a boomerang, I guess. It comes back to what it was born from. And the friction stirs up the flame till it's hotter. Now, tell me that thing I can do for you. Because the quicker I hear what it is, the quicker I can set about it." Marise threw up her head and drew in a long breath. She might have done the same if she had come, with a running jump, to the edge of a precipice. "Would you--like to marry me?" she gasped.