"I hope not, Mr. Haskins. And after all this may be one of those marriages which are said to be made in heaven. But Mr. Macandrew wants to marry Charity at once, and she has yet to fulfil one month's engagement at the Belver Theatre." "Macandrew can wait for one month, surely." "He must. Charity cannot break her engagement without paying forfeit, and the managers will be sorry to lose her. Certainly she has only one dance in _The Moon-Fay_, but she is a great favorite with the public, and when she retires from the stage she will be greatly missed. I assure you, Mr. Haskins, that Charity is giving up a very brilliant career to become the wife of an obscure solicitor." "Macandrew will not always be obscure. He will rise high in his profession, and will make plenty of money." "Of course Lady Euphemia is against the marriage." "What of that? Macandrew is the chief person to be considered." Mrs. Pelham Odin did not pay very strict attention to this speech. Her eyes were on the polished floor, and she was thinking deeply. "I can guess why Lady Euphemia Macandrew disapproves," she said hesitatingly: "my girl is a dancer, for one thing; and she is also a waif." Haskins looked up suddenly. Mrs. Pelham Odin was touching on the very point which he wished to discuss. "You told Macandrew something about that?" he remarked eagerly. "Yes. Because I wished Mr. Macandrew to know exactly what he was doing, and to tell you the truth, Mr. Haskins, as I did not wish the marriage to take place, I thought that the discovery of Charity's birth might put him off, since he is well born himself." "Love laughs at rank," said Gerald. "I thought you knew nothing of Miss Bird's birth." "Nor do I, save that I bought her from a native woman in Calcutta for a small sum. It sounds quite like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' doesn't it?" And Mrs. Pelham Odin laughed again in her silvery manner. "Didn't the woman tell you where she got the child?" "No--that is, she explained that she had taken over the child from an ayah at Simla. Charity was pretty, and I was sorry to see a European child with a juggler and his wife, so I took her with me, and have brought her up as my own daughter, although I did not give her my name." "Do you ever hope to learn about her parents?" "No. That is impossible, I fear. It is quite fifteen or sixteen years since I took possession of her. The native woman and the ayah may be dead. Quite a romance, isn't it?" "I can tell you something even more romantic," said Gerald, "if you will promise to hold your tongue." "How delightfully mysterious you are," cried Mrs. Pelham Odin, in her lively comedy manner. "I promise, of course. Well?"