nd."

"Ah," said Vanderbank, "I'm a mass of corruption!"

"You may perfectly be, but you shall not," Mr. Longdon returned with
decision, "get off on any such plea. If you're good enough for me you're
good enough, as you thoroughly know, on whatever head, for any one."

"Thank you." But Vanderbank, for all his happy appreciation, thought
again. "We ought at any rate to remember, oughtn't we? that we should
have Mrs. Brook against us."

His companion faltered but an instant. "Ah that's another thing I know.
But it's also exactly why. Why I want Nanda away."

"I see, I see."

The response had been prompt, yet Mr. Longdon seemed suddenly to show
that he suspected the superficial. "Unless it's with Mrs. Brook you're
in love." Then on his friend's taking the idea with a mere headshake of
negation, a repudiation that might even have astonished by its own lack
of surprise, "Or unless Mrs. Brook's in love with you," he amended.

Vanderbank had for this any decent gaiety. "Ah that of course may
perfectly be!"

"But IS it? That's the question."

He continued light. "If she had declared her passion shouldn't I rather
compromise her--?"

"By letting me know?" Mr. Longdon reflected. "I'm sure I can't say--it's
a sort of thing for which I haven't a measure or a precedent. In my time
women didn't declare their passion. I'm thinking of what the meaning is
of Mrs. Brookenham's wanting you--as I've heard it called--herself."

Vanderbank, still with his smile, smoked a minute. "That's what you've
heard it called?"

"Yes, but you must excuse me from telling you by whom."

He was amused at his friend's discretion. "It's unimaginable. But it
doesn't matter. We all call everything--anything. The meaning of it, if
you and I put it so, is--well, a modern shade."

"You must deal then yourself," said Mr. Longdon, "with your modern
shades." He spoke now as if the case simply awaited such dealing.

But at this his young friend was more grave. "YOU could do nothing?--to
bring, I mean, Mrs. Brook round."

Mr. Longdon fairly started. "Propose on your behalf for her daughter?
With your authority--tomorrow. Authorise me and I instantly act."

Vanderbank's colour again rose--his flush was complete. "How awfully you
want it!"

Mr. Longdon, after a look at him, turned away. "How awfully YOU don't!"

The young man continued to blush. "No--you must do me justice. You've
not made a mistake about me--I see in your proposal, I think, all y