y penniless? I really don't know whom she'll turn to
now."

Then Billy, the diplomatist, received a surprise.

"She'll come with me, of course," said Mrs. Haggage.

Mr. Woods made an--unfortunately--inaudible observation.

"I beg your pardon?" she queried. Then, obtaining no response, she
continued, with perfect simplicity: "Margaret's quite like a daughter
to me, you know. Of course, she and the Colonel will come with us--at
least, until affairs are a bit more settled. Even afterward--well, we
have a large house, Billy, and I don't see that they'd be any better
off anywhere else."

Billy's emotions were complex.

"You big-hearted old parasite," his own heart was singing. "If you
could only keep that ring of truth that's in your voice for your
platform utterances--why, in less than no time you could afford to
feed your Afro-Americans on nightingales' tongues and clothe every
working-girl in the land in cloth of gold! You've been pilfering from
Peggy for years--pilfering right and left with both hands! But you've
loved her all the time, God bless you; and now the moment she's in
trouble you're ready to take both her and the Colonel--whom, by the
way, you must very cordially detest--and share your pitiful, pilfered
little crusts with 'em and--having two more mouths to feed--probably
pilfer a little more outrageously in the future! You're a
sanctimonious old hypocrite, you are, and a pious fraud, and a
delusion, and a snare, and you and Adele have nefarious designs on me
at this very moment, but I think I'd like to kiss you!"

Indeed, I believe Mr. Woods came very near doing so. She loved Peggy,
you see; and he loved every one who loved her.

But he compromised by shaking hands energetically, for a matter of
five minutes, and entreating to be allowed to subscribe to some of her
deserving charitable enterprises--any one she might mention--and so
left the old lady a little bewildered, but very much pleased.

She decided that for the future Adele must not see so much of Mr.
Van Orden. She began to fear that gentleman's views of life were not
sufficiently serious.

XIX

Billy went into the gardens in pursuit of Margaret. He was almost
happy now and felt vaguely ashamed of himself. Then he came upon
Kathleen Saumarez, who, indeed, was waiting for him there; and his
heart went down into his boots.

He realised on a sudden that he was one of the richest men in America.
It was a staggering thought. Also, Mr. Wo