hard for me," Diane said, almost tearfully, "but I'll
try. I must tell you, first of all, that we've lost a great deal of
money."

"That's no new situation."

"It is to me; and it's even more so to my poor mother-in-law. I should
think you must have heard of her at least. She is Mrs. Arthur Eveleth.
Her maiden name was Naomi de Ruyter, of New York."

"Very likely."

"Her husband was related, on his mother's side, to the Van Tromps--the
same family as your own."

"That's more likely still. There are as many Van Tromps in New York as
there are shrimps on the Breton coast, and they're all related to me,
because I'm supposed to have a little money."

"I sha'n't let you offend me," Diane said, stoutly, "because I want your
help."

"That's a very good reason."

"But since you take so little interest in us I will not attempt to
explain how it is that we've come to such misfortune."

"I'll take that for granted."

"The blow has fallen more heavily on my mother-in-law than on me. She
has lost everything she had in the world; while I have still my own
money--my _dot_--and a little over from the sale of my jewels."

"Well?"

"If you'd ever seen her, you would know how terrible, how impossible,
such a situation is for her. She's the sort of woman who ought to have
money--who _must_ have money. And so I thought if I came to you--"

"I'd give her some."

"No," Diane said, quickly, with a renewed touch of indignation, "but
that you'd help me to do it."

He looked at her with an odd, upward glance under his shaggy,
overhanging brows, while the protruding lower lip went a shade further
out.

"Help you to do it? How?"

"By letting her have mine."

Again he looked at her, almost suspiciously.

"You've got plenty to give away, I suppose?"

"On the contrary, I've pitifully little; but such as it is, I want her
to have it all. She could live on it--with economy; or at least she says
I could."

"And can't you?"

"I don't want to. As there isn't enough for two, I wish to settle it on
her. Isn't that the word?--settle?"

"It'll do as well as another. And what do you propose to do yourself?"

"Work."

Diane forced the word in a little gasp of humiliation, but she got it
out.

"And what'll you work at?"

"I don't know yet, exactly. I shall have to see. My mother-in-law is
going to America; and when she does I'll join her."

"Humph! My good woman, you wouldn't do more than just keep ahead of
starvation."