as breathlessly pleased and
excited.

"What I want," he went on, "is the happiness of you all. I was sorry
when I came back to find that Nicholas and Vera weren't such friends as
they used to be. I don't mean that there's anything wrong at all, but
they must be brought closer together--and that's what you and I, who
know them and love them, can do--"

"Yes, yes," said Nina eagerly. Semyonov then explained that the thing
that really was, it seemed to him, keeping them apart were Nicholas's
inventions. Of course Vera had long ago seen that these inventions were
never going to come to anything, that they were simply wasting
Nicholas's time when he might, by taking an honest clerkship or
something of the kind, be maintaining the whole household, and the very
thought of him sitting in his workshop irritated her. The thing to do,
Semyonov explained, was to laugh Nicholas out of his inventions, to show
him that it was selfish nonsense his pursuing them, to persuade him to
make an honest living.

"But I thought," said Nina, "you approved of them. I heard you only the
other day telling him that it was a good idea, and that he must go on--"

"Ah!" said Semyonov. "That was my weakness, I'm afraid. I couldn't bear
to disappoint him. But it was wrong of me--and I knew it at the time."

Now Nina had always rather admired her brother-in-law's inventions. She
had thought it very clever of him to think of such things, and she had
wondered why other people did not applaud him more.

Now suddenly she saw that it was very selfish of him to go on with these
things when they never brought in a penny, and Vera had to do all the
drudgery. She was suddenly indignant with him. In how clear a light her
uncle placed things!

"One thing to do," said Semyonov, "is to laugh at him about them. Not
very much, not unkindly, but enough to make him see the folly of it."

"I think he does see that already, poor Nicholas," said Nina with wisdom
beyond her years.

"To bring Nicholas and Vera together," said Semyonov, "that's what we
have to do, you and I. And believe me, dear Nina, I on my side will do
all I can to help you. We are friends, aren't we?--not only uncle and
niece."

"Yes," said Nina breathlessly. That was all that there was to the
conversation, but it was quite enough to make Nina feel as though she
had already won her heart's desire. If any one as clever as her uncle
believed in this, then it _must_ be true. It had not been only he