It made him break into a laugh which had more
freedom than his smile. " How you must be afraid
you ll chuck me!"

"No, no, that would be vulgar. But, of course,
I do see my danger," she admitted, " of doing some
thing base."

"Then what can be so base as sacrificing me?"

"I shan't sacrifice you; don't cry out till you re
hurt. I shall sacrifice nobody and nothing, and
that's just my situation, that I want and that I shall
try for everything. That," she wound up, " is how
I see myself, and how I see you quite as much, act
ing for them."

"For them? " and the young man strongly, ex
travagantly marked his coldness. " Thank you!"

"Don't you care for them?"

"Why should I? What are they to me but a
serious nuisance?"

As soon as he had permitted himself this qualifi
cation of the unfortunate persons she so perversely
cherished, he repented of his roughness and partly
because he expected a flash from her. But it was
one of her finest sides that she sometimes flashed
with a mere mild glow. " I don't see why you
don't make out a little more that if we avoid stu
pidity we may do all We may keep her."

He stared. " Make her pension us?"

"Well, wait at least till we have seen."

He thought. " Seen what can be got out of
her?"

[[82]]

p081 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p082w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p083

v?