"I certainly have been up some hours," replied Vernon coldly. "While you eat I can smoke, with your permission." He sat down and lighted a cigarette carefully. "I have called to see you----" "An unexpected pleasure," murmured Maunders, pouring himself out a second cup of coffee. "Yes?" "To ask you if you are engaged to Miss Dimsdale," finished Vernon pointedly. "Perhaps I am." "In that case you will have given up all pursuit of Miss Corsoon?" "Perhaps I have." "Oh, hang your evasions. What do you mean?" "I don't recognise your right to ask me questions about my affairs." "They are mine also, confound you," snapped Vernon energetically. "I love Miss Corsoon, and if you would leave her alone she would probably accept me." "What good would that do?" asked Maunders lightly; "Her mother wouldn't." "Would Lady Corsoon accept <I>you?</I> After all, you have nothing but your good looks to offer the girl." "Ah, but the girl has a fortune to offer me." "You aren't worth it. And let me remind you that however much Miss Corsoon may be taken up with your looks, her mother will certainly disapprove of the match." Maunders shrugged his shoulders. "You can't be sure of that." "I am sure of one thing, that Sir Julius will cut his daughter off with a shilling if she marries you." "Now that's very clever of you, my dear boy," said Maunders gracefully, "for Sir Julius _is_ the stumbling-block. He's a purse with a gaping mouth, which goes about on two legs, and has no sympathy with romance." "Romance! Why, you don't know what it means," said Vernon scornfully. "You want to marry money, and either Miss Corsoon or Miss Dimsdale will serve your turn. The last is in possession of her money, whereas the first may not inherit her expected fortune, which will certainly be taken away from her if she marries you. Why not stick to Miss Dimsdale?" Maunders rose and went to the window. "Because I really love Miss Corsoon, much as you may doubt it," he said impetuously. "I have a heart----" "Which is for sale to the highest bidder. See here, Conny----" "Conny?" Maunders lifted his eyebrows. "I thought you barred pet names?" "I am appealing, not to the man-of-the-world, but to my old schoolfellow, if you put it in that way. See here, I love Lucy Corsoon, and, if you would only clear out of the gangway, she would really love me. She does--I have seen it in many ways." "Bosh! If she really loved you she wouldn't listen to me." "I don't know. You have good looks and a kind of magnetic power which influences women against their will: hard women of the world, too, much less an innocent girl such as Lucy is. It's a great power to have, and you make bad use of it." "Just because I happen to cross your track. Thanks." "Oh, hang your dodging. I came here to receive a plain answer to a plain question. Are you going to marry Miss Corsoon or Miss Dimsdale?" "I haven't made up my mind."