“Yes.” Peter reddened. “Hang it, I can’t fake with you. Fact is--well--while I hope I’d have come anyway, still, I’d not be so open about it, I’m afraid, if I hadn’t your father’s consent.” “He told you to come!” “He hasn’t given up,” said Peter with the air of a peddler undoing his pack. “Asked me if I knew where you were stopping. I said yes--that you told me. He asked where. I couldn’t think of any side step, so I let out the truth. Any harm in that?” “Not the slightest. I’m not hiding from anybody.” “Then he said--just as I was leaving him on the ferry this morning: ‘If you wish to call on my daughter and try to bring her to her right mind I’ve no objection.’” “And I’ve no objection, either,” said the girl, “unless you try to bring me to my right mind. That one subject is taboo. You understand?” Peter nodded. “I knew you meant it yesterday. I’m going ahead with Allie. You and I are such old friends that I feel I can talk things over with you. You see, it’s this way. I want to get married and settled. We all marry and settle young in our family. I can’t have what I want--but I can get something mighty good. Allie’s a trump. Such a comfortable sort.” “You couldn’t do better,” said Beatrice with more warmth than she felt. For she had her eyes open to Allie now--too recently open for her to be tolerant of what were weaknesses of the same species as Beatrice’s own, if of a different genus. “I’m not really in love with her,” continued Peter. “But----” “But that’s of no consequence,” said Beatrice. “You’re one of the sort that thinks whatever belongs to them is the grandest ever. You’ll soon be crazy about her.” “And she’ll always look well, too. She’s the image of her mother, and the way to test a girl’s staying quality is to see how her mother holds together. Yes, Allie’s good for the whole run--right into the last quarter.” Beatrice and Peter went into the restaurant and in a quiet corner sat down to the sociability of tea. “Hanky,” said she, “I am going to treat you as a friend. I am going to ask you to attend to some matters for me which you must promise me never to speak of.” Hanky showed that he was as highly flattered as the next young man would be by marks of intimacy and confidence from a pretty and superior young woman. “You can count on me--for anything I feel I’ve the right to do,” said he. “But, whether I do it or not, I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Beatrice poured the tea in reflective silence. Not until she had tasted her own cup did she venture to begin expressing the thoughts she had been arranging. “Roger Wade has about forty thousand dollars invested in the bonds of the Wauchong Railway.” Peter leaned back and gave a low whistle. He shook his head and repeated the whistle. “I see you understand.” “I begin to,” said Peter. Looking down at her plate and speaking somewhat nervously and hurriedly the girl went on: