st have
done, if I am to respect him; and there couldn't be love without
respect, could there? How perfectly absurd! Why, Allen is--just Allen!"

"Of course, my dear; I was only teasing you--and the man who wins you
must have accomplished a whole lot more than you demand in order to
satisfy me. So that problem is settled, and we'll wait for the Knight
Adventurous who dares attack our citadel."

Alice stooped and picked a gorgeous dahlia, upon which she fixed her
still averted gaze.

"I only wanted to do my part," she said, apologetically. "Allen is
dreadfully alone in the world, now that his father has gone back on him.
I think I am the only one who understands him."

"Your father is but joking, Alice," Eleanor reassured her. "You and
Allen are now business associates, and it will be your duty to help
each other, all for the advancement of the great Consolidated
Companies."

The girl looked up brightly. "That's right," she said; "business
associates always do that, don't they? Now I'll leave you to yourselves
until dinner-time."

With an understanding glance at Eleanor, Alice ran up the terrace steps
and into the house. Mrs. Gorham repeated to her husband the girl's
conversation and added her own interpretation of the situation,
carefully avoiding any mention of Covington's proposition, which was the
one subject upon which she would have preferred to talk.

"She is growing up too fast, Robert," she concluded. "We must make her
play more and forget the responsibilities which she insists upon
assuming."

"She's in safe hands," Gorham replied, smiling. "Keep her young as long
as you can, dear, and when she has to grow up, even to your mature
years, help her to be just such another woman as yourself. Covington
gives me glowing accounts of her progress in the little scheme which you
so cleverly suggested. He seems to think her interest is more than a
mere whim, but I can't believe it."

"She is a strange girl in some ways," Eleanor replied, "and we must
watch her carefully just at this crisis."

"I don't intend to have young Sanford step in and upset my plans,"
Gorham insisted.

"You had better go slowly, dear, and let her work out her own future,
guiding her quietly without her realizing it. Allen will have to win her
respect before you need to consider him as a possible obstacle. Their
interest in each other just now is so natural and unaffected that I
should be sorry to disturb it. Each one can be a real he