u're not sure I'm worth the trouble?"

"You may put it that way, if you like. But I'd say, rather, I'm not sure
I can spare the time--and you're not sure you care to fit yourself for
the place."

"Oh, but I do!" cried she.

"We'll see--in a few weeks or months," replied he.

The Burroughs party were rising. Josephine had choice of two ways to the
door. She chose the one that took her past Norman and his bride. She
advanced, beaming. Norman rose, took her extended hand. Said she:

"So glad to see you." Then, turning the radiant smile upon Dorothy, "And
is this your wife? Is this the pretty little typewriter girl?"

Dorothy nodded--a charming, ingenuous bend of the head. Norman felt a
thrill of pride in her, so beautifully unconscious of the treacherous
attempt at insult. It particularly delighted him that she had not made
the mistake of rising to return Josephine's greeting but had remained
seated. Surely this wife of his had the right instincts that never fail
to cause right manners. For Josephine's benefit, he gazed down at
Dorothy with the proudest, fondest eyes. "Yes--this is she," said he.
"Can you blame me?"

Josephine paled and winced visibly, as if the blow she had aimed at him
had, after glancing off harmlessly, returned to crush her. She touched
Dorothy's proffered hand, murmured a few stammering phrases of vague
compliment, rejoined her friends. Said Dorothy, when she and Norman were
settled again:

"I shall never like her. Nor she me."

"But you do like this cheese? Waiter, another bottle of that same."

"Why did she put you in such a good humor?" inquired his wife.

"It wasn't she. It was you!" replied he. But he refused to explain.

XXI

Galloway accepted Norman's terms. He would probably have accepted terms
far less easy. But Norman as yet knew with the thoroughness which must
precede intelligent plan and action only the legal side of financial
operations; he had been as indifferent to the commercial side as a pilot
to the value of the cargo in the ship he engages to steer clear of
shoals and rocks. So with the prudence of the sagacious man's audacities
he contented himself with a share of this first venture that would
simply make a comfortable foundation for the fortune he purposed to
build. As the venture could not fail outright, even should Galloway die,
he rented a largish place at Hempstead, with the privilege of purchase,
and installed his wife and himself with a dozen servants