from us. I should think you would
be crazy with your losses."

Now, Mr. Belcher wished to impress Mrs. Dillingham permanently with a
sense of his wisdom, and to inspire in her an inextinguishable faith in
his sagacity and prudence. He wanted her to believe in his power to
retain all the wealth he had won. He would take her into his
confidence. He had never done this with relation to his business, and
under that treatment she had drifted away from him. Now that he found
how thoroughly friendly she was, he would try another method, and bind
her to him. The lady read him as plainly as if he had been a book, and
said:

"Oh, General! I have ascertained something that may be of use to you.
Mr. Benedict is living. I had a letter from his boy this morning--dear
little fellow--and he tells me how well his father is, and how pleasant
it is to be with him again."

Mr. Belcher frowned.

"Do you know I can't quite stomach your whim--about that boy? What under
heaven do you care for him?"

"Oh, you mustn't touch that whim, General," said Mrs. Dillingham,
laughing. "I am a woman, and I have a right to it. He amuses me, and a
great deal more than that. I wouldn't tell you a word about him, or what
he writes to me, if I thought it would do him any harm. He's my pet.
What in the world have I to do but to pet him? How shall I fill my time?
I'm tired of society, and disgusted with men--at least, with my old
acquaintances--and I'm fond of children. They do me good. Oh, you
mustn't touch my whim!"

"There is no accounting for tastes!" Mr. Belcher responded, with a laugh
that had a spice of scorn and vexation in it.

"Now, General, what do you care for that boy? If you are a friend to me,
you ought to be glad that he interests me."

"I don't like the man who has him in charge. I believe Balfour is a
villain."

"I'm sure I don't know," said the lady. "He never has the courtesy to
darken my door. I once saw something of him. He is like all the rest, I
suppose; he is tired of me."

Mrs. Dillingham had played her part perfectly, and the man before her
was a blind believer in her loyalty to him.

"Let the boy go, and Balfour too," said the General. "They are not
pleasant topics to me, and your whim will wear out. When is the boy
coming back?"

"He is to be away all summer, I believe."

"Good!"

Mrs. Dillingham laughed.

"Why, I am glad of it, if you are," she said.

Mr. Belcher drew a little book from his pocket.

"What ha