all not go out
of their family--for my husband's sake. But," she added, fiercely,
"neither shall the money go out of mine. They shall know I have a
family. It's the only way by which I can force the knowledge on them.
They think I sprang out of the earth like a mushroom. You may tell my
niece as much as that--and let her get all the comfort from it she can.
That's all I have to say, monsieur. Good morning."

The dash she made from him seeming no more final than those which had
preceded it, he went on speaking.

"I'm afraid, madame, that help is too far in the future to be of much
assistance now. Besides, I'm not sure it's what they want. We've managed
to keep Mr. Henry Guion out of prison. That danger is over. Our present
concern is for Miss Olivia Guion's happiness."

As he expected, the shock calmed her. Notwithstanding her mask, she grew
suddenly haggard, though her eyes, which--since she had never been able
to put poudre de riz or cherry paste in them--were almost as fine as
ever, instantly flashed out the signal of the Guion pride. Her fluffy
head went up, and her little figure stiffened as she entrenched herself
again behind the arm-chair. Her only hint of flinching came from a
slackening in the flow of speech and a higher, thinner quality in the
voice.

"Has my nephew, Henry Guion, been doing things--that--that would send
him--to prison?"

In spite of herself the final words came out with a gasp.

"It's a long story, madame--or, at least, a complicated one. I could
explain it, if you'd give me the time."

"Sit down."

They took seats at last. Owing to the old lady's possession of what she
herself called a business mind he found the tale easy in the telling.
Her wits being quick and her questions pertinent, she was soon in
command of the facts. She was soon, too, in command of herself. The
first shock having passed, she was able to go into complete explanations
with courage.

"So that," he concluded, "now that Mr. Guion is safe, if Miss Guion
could only marry--the man--the man she cares for--everything would be
put as nearly right as we can make it."

"And at present they are at a deadlock. She won't marry him if he has to
sell his property, and so forth; and he can't marry her, and live in
debt to you. Is that it?"

"That's it, madame, exactly. You've put it in a nutshell."

She looked at him hardly. "And what has it all got to do with me?"

He looked at her steadily in his turn. "I thought perha