whom you hope to call your wife."

"Does this business concern Miss Saxon?"

"Indirectly it does. But it rather has to do with her brother."

Mallow frowned. The conversation was taking a turn of which he did not
approve. However, he knew well the dangerous ground upon which he
stood with regard to the case, and thought it best to hear what his
unexpected visitor had to say. "State your business," he said curtly.

"Very good," replied Hale, nursing his silk hat on his knee. "I see you
don't offer me coffee or a cigarette."

"We are not friends, sir. And let me remind you that you thrust
yourself uninvited on me."

"To do you a service," said Hale quickly. "I think, therefore, that I
deserve a better reception."

"Will you please come to the point?" said Mallow coldly, "whatever the
service may be, I am quite sure it is two for you if one for me. You
are not the man to go out of your way, Mr. Hale, to help anyone."

Hale nodded and smiled grimly. "You are quite right. Now, then, Mr.
Mallow, do you know that Basil Saxon was to have inherited the money of
my late client, Miss Loach?"

"No, I never knew that. I understood that Miss Loach always intended
to leave the money to Miss Saxon."

Hale shook his well-oiled head. "On the contrary, Mr. Saxon was her
favorite. In spite of his wild ways she liked him. However, she was
also fond of Miss Saxon, and you may thank Miss Loach, Mr. Mallow, for
having been the means of forwarding your engagement."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Cuthbert angrily.

"Mrs. Octagon," went on the lawyer deliberately, "would never have
consented to Miss Saxon becoming engaged to you had not Miss Loach
insisted that she should agree."

"Seeing that Mrs. Octagon hated her sister and was not likely, to be
influenced by her, I do not see how that can be."

"Perhaps not. Nevertheless, such is the case. You saw how, when Miss
Loach died, Mrs. Octagon seized the first opportunity to place
obstacles in the way of your marriage."

"I believe she did that on Maraquito's account, Mr. Hale. I know
perfectly well that Mrs. Octagon called on Maraquito."

"Quite so--to ask Maraquito not to let Basil Saxon play beyond his
means. Certainly, Maraquito having a strange fancy for you, agreed, on
condition that Mrs. Octagon refuse to let Miss Saxon marry you. But,
in any case, Mrs. Octagon hates your uncle too much to allow her
daughter to become your wife. You will never get Mrs.