t, it's bad enough that you should talk in your
cold-blooded way of going on the stage, but that you should ever marry
a Greek! Good heavens, child! What do you think I am made of? And then
you ask me what designs the man has. It's not to be believed!'

'I must be very dull,' said Margaret in a patient tone, 'but I don't
understand.'

'I do,' retorted Mrs. Rushmore with severity, 'and that's enough!
Wasn't I your dear mother's best friend? Haven't I been a good friend
to you?'

'Indeed you have!' cried Margaret very gratefully.

'Well then,' explained Mrs. Rushmore, 'I don't see that there is
anything more to be said. It follows that the man is either an agent of
that wicked old Alvah Moon----'

'Why?' asked Margaret, opening her eyes.

'Or else,' continued Mrs. Rushmore with crushing logic, 'he means to
live on you when you've made your fortune by singing. It must be one or
the other, and if it isn't the one, it's certainly the other. Certainly
it is! You may say what you like. So that's settled, and I've warned
you. You can't afford to despise your old friend's warning,
Margaret--indeed you can't.'

'But I've no idea of marrying the man,' said Margaret helplessly.

'Of course not! But I should like to say, my child, that whatever you
do, I won't leave you to your fate. You may be sure of that. If nothing
else would serve I'd go on the stage myself! I owe it to your mother.'

Margaret wondered in what capacity Mrs. Rushmore would exhibit herself
to the astounded public if she carried out her threat.

CHAPTER VIII

If Mrs. Rushmore's logic was faulty and the language of her argument
vague, her instinct was keen enough and had not altogether misled her.
Logotheti was neither a secret agent of the wicked Alvah Moon who had
robbed Margaret of her fortune, nor had he the remotest idea of making
Margaret support him in luxurious idleness in case she made a success.
But if, when a young and not over-scrupulous Oriental has been refused
by an English girl, he does not abandon the idea of marrying her, but
calmly considers the possibilities of making her marry him against her
will, he may be described as having 'designs' upon her, then Logotheti
was undeniably a very 'designing' person, and Mrs. Rushmore was not
nearly so far wrong as Margaret thought her. Whether it was at all
likely that he might succeed, was another matter, but he possessed both
the qualities and the weapons which sometimes ensure succes