--not in the least. It's absurd to talk about it because the man
hasn't the least idea of making love to me. But suppose he wanted to.
Why shouldn't I listen to him? You tell me he doesn't have the same
little conventions as we do. Thank heaven he hasn't. His mind is free.
If that condemns him----"

She broke off from sheer passionate inadequacy to express herself.

"Those conventions are a part of your life, little girl. Can you imagine
yourself sitting opposite him at breakfast for the rest of your natural
days?"

"You mean because he is a workingman, I suppose."

"If you like. You would miss all the things to which you were used. Love
in a cottage isn't practicable for young women brought up as you have
been."

"Then I've been brought up wrong. If I were fond enough of the man--but
that's absurd. We're discussing an impossible case. I'll just say this,
though. I've never met a man who would be as little likely to bore one."

"Does his cousin bore you?"

"No. Captain Kilmeny is interesting in his way too, but----"

"Well?"

"His thoughts are all well regulated ones. He keeps to the proper beaten
track." She flung up a hand impatiently. "Oh, I know he's perfect. I've
never been allowed to forget that. He's too perfect. He would let me do
anything I wanted to do. I would want a husband--if I ever have one--who
would be strong enough to make me want to do whatever he said."

Farquhar smiled as he flung his cigar into the river. "That works out
better in theory than in practice, my dear. It's the little things that
count in married life. What we need is a love well under control and
friction eliminated."

"That's not what I want. Give me my great moments, even if I have to pay
for them."

He understood perfectly her eager desire for the best life has to offer.
What he was proposing for her was a tame second best. But it was safe,
and the first rule of the modern marriage mart is to play the game safe.
Yet he had a boyish errant impulse to tell her to cut loose and win
happiness if she could. What restrained him, in addition to what he
owed Lady Jim in the matter, was his doubt as to this young man's
character.

"There would be another thing to consider. Kilmeny is under a cloud--a
pretty serious one. All the evidence connects him with this robbery.
Grant that you believe him innocent. Still, a nice girl can't let her
name be connected with that of a man suspected of a crime."

"I'm sure he isn't guilty.