to hint too much: "I always like you to do what you can toward
uplift. I'll take you as far as the Old Village, if you're going that
way."

There had been a time when such concessions at the mention of Thor
Masterman would have irritated Lois more than any violence of
opposition; but that time was passing. She could hardly complain if
others saw what was daily becoming more patent to herself. She could
complain of it the less since she found it difficult to conceal her
happiness. It was a happiness that softened the pangs of care and
removed to a distance the conditions incidental to her father's habits
and impending financial ruin.

Nevertheless, the conditions were there, and had to be confronted. She
made, in fact, a timid effort to confront them as she sat beside her
mother in the admirably fitted limousine.

"Mother, what are we going to do about papa?"

Mrs. Willoughby's indignant rising to the occasion could be felt like an
electric wave. "Do about him? Do about what?"

"About the way he is."

"The way he is? What on earth are you talking about?"

"I mean the way he comes home."

"He comes home very tired, if that's what you're trying to say. Any man
who works as they work him at that office--"

"Do you think it's work?"

"No, I don't think it's work. I call it slavery. It's enough to put a
man in his grave. I've seen him come home so that he could hardly speak;
and if you've done the same you may know that he's simply tired enough
to die."

Lois tried to come indirectly to her point by saying, "Thor Masterman
has been bringing him home lately."

"Oh, well; I suppose Thor knows he doesn't lose anything by that move."

Lois ignored the remark to say, "Thor seems worried."

The mother's alertness was that of a ruffled, bellicose bird defending
its mate. "If Thor's worried about your father, he can spare himself the
trouble. He can leave that to me. I'll take care of him. What he needs
is rest. When everything is settled I mean to take him away. Of course
we can't go _this_ winter. If we could we should go to Egypt--he and I.
But we can't. We know that. We make the sacrifice."

These discreet allusions, too, Lois thought it best to let pass in
silence. "It wasn't altogether about papa that Thor was worried. He
seems anxious about money."

Bessie tossed her head. "That may easily be. If your father takes our
money out of the firm, as he threatens to do, the Mastermans will
be--well, I don't know