his
wife, Arthur found himself the girl's guardian and executor. He sent her
to school; saw that she had everything she could possibly want; and when,
at seventeen, she told him of her wish to go to Paris and learn drawing,
he at once consented. But though he never sought to assume authority over
her, he suggested that she should not live alone, and it was on this
account that she went to Susie. The preparations for the journey were
scarcely made when Margaret discovered by chance that her father had died
penniless and she had lived ever since at Arthur's entire expense. When
she went to see him with tears in her eyes, and told him what she knew,
Arthur was so embarrassed that it was quite absurd.

'But why did you do it?' she asked him. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I didn't think it fair to put you under any obligation to me, and I
wanted you to feel quite free.'

She cried. She couldn't help it.

'Don't be so silly,' he laughed. 'You own me nothing at all. I've done
very little for you, and what I have done has given me a great deal of
pleasure.'

'I don't know how I can ever repay you.'

'Oh, don't say that,' he cried. 'It makes it so much harder for me to say
what I want to.'

She looked at him quickly and reddened. Her deep blue eyes were veiled
with tears.

'Don't you know that I'd do anything in the world for you?' she cried.

'I don't want you to be grateful to me, because I was hoping--I might ask
you to marry me some day.'

Margaret laughed charmingly as she held out her hands.

'You must know that I've been wanting you to do that ever since I was
ten.'

She was quite willing to give up her idea of Paris and be married without
delay, but Arthur pressed her not to change her plans. At first Margaret
vowed it was impossible to go, for she knew now that she had no money,
and she could not let her lover pay.

'But what does it matter?' he said. 'It'll give me such pleasure to go
on with the small allowance I've been making you. After all, I'm pretty
well-to-do. My father left me a moderate income, and I'm making a good
deal already by operating.'

'Yes, but it's different now. I didn't know before. I thought I
was spending my own money.'

'If I died tomorrow, every penny I have would be yours. We shall be
married in two years, and we've known one another much too long to
change our minds. I think that our lives are quite irrevocably united.'

Margaret wished very much to spend this time in Pari