have the whole
family on your back, you know. You won't be marrying Len and me. I tell
you right now because you're the sort that'll think he ought to do it.
Well, you won't have to. I mean what I say when I tell you we're going
to live on our income--what's left of it. We can, and we will, and we're
going to."

"Couldn't we talk about all that when--?"

"When you're married to Lois and have more of a right to speak? No.
We'll talk about it now--and never any more. Len and I are going to have
plenty--plenty. If you think I can't manage--well, you'll see."

"Oh, I know you've got lots of pluck, Mrs. Willoughby--"

She sprang to her feet. With her hands thrust jauntily into the pockets
of her apron, she looked like some poor little soubrette, grown
middle-aged, stout, and rather grotesque, in a Marivaux play. She acted
her part well. "Pluck? Oh, I've got more than that. I've got some
ability. If you never knew it before, you'll see it now. I've spent a
lot; but then I've had a lot--or thought I had; and now that I'm going
to have little--well, I'll show you I can cut my coat according to my
cloth as well as the next one."

"I don't doubt that in the least, and yet--"

"And yet you want us to have all our money back. Oh, I know what you
meant yesterday afternoon. I didn't see it at the time--I had so many
things to think of; but I caught on to it as soon as I got home. We
should get it back, because you'd give it to us. Well, you won't. You
can marry Lois, if she'll marry you--and I hope to the Lord she won't be
such a goose as to refuse you!--and you can take the house off our
hands; but more than that you won't be able to do, not if you were Thor
Masterman ten times over."

He smiled. "I shouldn't like to be that. Once is bad enough."

Her little eyes shone tearily. "All the same, I like you for it. I do
believe that if you hadn't said it I should have gone to law. I
certainly meant to; but when I saw how nice _you_ were--" Dashing away
another tear, she changed her tone suddenly. "Tell me. What did your
mother say after I left yesterday?"

Thor informed her that to the best of his knowledge she hadn't said
anything.

Bessie chuckled. "I didn't leave her much to say, did I? Well, I'm glad
to have had the opportunity of talking it out with her."

"You certainly talked it out--if that's the word."

"Yes, didn't I? And now, I suppose, she's mad."

Thor was unable to affirm as much as this. In fact, the conve