business with a determination that very soon
showed him there was no rest to be had there.

Very prettily, but quite efficiently, she bored him for information
about his plans. Had he no plans whatever about what he was going to do
as soon as he had finished college? Of course she knew he had money of
his own (he had never told her how much, and there hadn't really been
any way of asking a man like Courtland when he didn't choose to tell a
thing like that), but nowadays that was nothing. Even rich men all did
_something_. One wasn't anything unless one was in something big! Hadn't
he ever had any offers at all? It was queer, such a brilliant man as he
was. She knew lots of young fellows who had no end of chances to get
into big things as soon as they were done with their education. Didn't
his father know of something, or have something in mind for him? Hadn't
he ever been approached?

Goaded at last by her delicate but determined insinuations, Courtland
told her. Yes, he had had offers; one in particular that was a fine
thing from a worldly point of view, but he didn't intend to take it. It
did not fit with his ideal of life. There were things about it that
were not square. He wasn't quite sure how his his own plans were going
to work out yet. He must have a talk with his father first. Possibly he
would study awhile longer somewhere.

Gila frowned. She had no idea of letting him do that. She wanted him to
get into something big right away, so that she might begin her career.
So that was what had been standing in his way! Study! How stupid! No,
indeed! She wanted no scholar for a husband, who would bore her with
horrid old dull books and lectures and never want to go anywhere with
her! She must switch him away from this idea at once! She returned to
the rejected business proposition with zeal and avidity. What was it?
What did it involve? What were its future possibilities? Great! What on
earth could he find in that to object to? How ridiculous! How long ago
had that been offered to him? Was it too late to accept? What? He had
had the offer repeated even more flatteringly that very day? Where was
the letter? Would he let her see it?

She bent over Uncle Ramsey's brusque sentences with a hidden smile of
triumph and pretended to be surprised.

"How perfectly wonderful! All that responsibility and all those chances
to get to the top! Even a hint of Washington!"

She dimpled and opened her great eyes imploringly at hi