I snapped at you--about papa." "All I
remember about that is," he began, his eye lighting up with the thought
that this time the opportunity should not pass unimproved, "that you
said he didn't shine much in adversity---any more than you did. Now on
that last point I disagree with you, straight. There wouldn't be any
place in which you wouldn't shine."

"Is that the way one talks to one's niece?" she asked him, almost
listlessly. "Such flattery must surely be bad for the young." Her words
were sprightly enough, but her face had clouded over. She had no heart
for the banter.

"Ah"--he half-groaned. "I only wish I knew what was the right way to
talk to you. The real thing is that I see you're unhappy--and that gets
on my nerve--and I should like to ask you if there wasn't something
I could do--and ask it in such a way that you'd have to admit there
was--and I don't know enough to do it."

He had a wan smile for thanks. "But of course there is nothing," she
replied, gently.

"Oh, there must be!" he insisted. He had no longer any clear notions as
to where his tongue might not lead him. "There must be! You said I might
talk to you as I would to Julia."

"Did I?"

"Well, I'm going to, anyway," he went on stoutly, ignoring the note of
definite dissent in her interruption. "You ARE unhappy! You spoke about
being a chaperone. Well now, to speak plainly, if it isn't entirely
pleasant for you with Miss Madden--why wouldn't you be a chaperone for
Julia? I must be going to London very soon--but she can stay here, or go
to Egypt, or wherever she likes--and of course you would do everything,
and have everything--whatever you liked, too."

"The conversation is getting upon rather impossible grounds, I'm
afraid," she said, and then bit her lips together. Halting, she frowned
a little in the effort of considering her further words, but there was
nothing severe in the glance which she lifted to him as she began
to speak. "Let us walk on. I must tell you that you misconceive the
situation entirely. Nobody could possibly be kinder or more considerate
than Miss Madden. Of course she is American--or rather Irish-American,
and I'm English, and our notions and ways are not always alike. But
that has nothing to do with it. And it is not so much that she has
many thousands a year, and I only a few hundreds. That in itself would
signify nothing--and if I must take help from somebody I would rather
take it from Celia Madden than anybody e