."

He lit a cigarette and threw himself into an easy-chair. Constantine
selected a cigar and trimmed its end, watching Steve as he did so.

"You've come on about as well as they ever do," he remarked,
unexpectedly. "None of these rich young dogs could have matched you.
Seen the presents?"

"Scads of 'em. Awful stuff. I don't know what half of it is for. Bea
is going to hand you most of it. The apartment is to be a thing of
beauty and she won't hear of taking the offerings along."

"How is the shop?"

"Splendid--Mary Faithful will manage it quite as well as I do. I shall
hear from her daily, you'll stroll over that way, and I can manage to
keep my left little finger on the wheel."

"Mary's a good sort," Constantine mused. "Sorry I ever let her go over
to your shebang. What's her family like?"

"Don't know. Never thought about 'em. Her kid brother works round the
place after school. Guess Mary's the man of the family."

"How much do you pay her?"

"Forty a week."

"Cheap enough. A man would draw down seventy and demand an assistant.
I never had any luck with women secretaries--they all wanted to marry
me," he admitted, grimly.

"Mary's not that sort. Business is her life. If she were a man I'd
have a rival. I'm going to give her fifty a week from now on; she's
giving up her vacation to stay on the job."

"Don't spoil her."

"No danger. I've promised Beatrice to really learn to play bridge," he
changed the conversation.

"Accept my sympathy----" Constantine began and then Beatrice in a
lovely Bohemian rainbow dinner gown came stealing in to stand before
them and complain of her headache and admire her corsage and let Steve
wrap her in her cape and half carry her to the limousine.

"I shan't see you a moment until we're married," he began, mournfully.
"I've been most awfully neglected. But as you are going to be all mine
I can't complain. You're prettier than ever, Bea.... Love me?...
Lots?... Whole lots? You don't say it the way I want you to," laughing
at his own nonsense.

"I'll scream it and a crowd can gather to bear witness." She dimpled
prettily and nibbled at a rose leaf. "It's all like a fairy
tale--everyone says so, and lots of the girls would like to be
marrying you on Wednesday."

"Tell them I belong to the Gorgeous Girl until six men are walking
quietly beside me and assisting me to a permanent resting place. Even
then I'll belong to her," he added.

"Your nose is so handsome," she sai