her interesting--though I really do; and she may be like _eau rougie_;
but, as you said, it's a pleasant draught to have beside one. She is
gentle and wise and good, and she seems to take her place here very
sweetly, doesn't she? She seems really to belong here, don't you think
so?'

Helen could not answer that question. 'Do you want me to tell you
whether you care for her?' she asked.

He laughed. 'I suppose I do.'

'And, on the whole, you hope I'll tell you that you do.'

'Well, yes,' he assented.

The dreadful steeling of her will at the very verge of swooning abysses
gave an edge to her voice. She tried to dull it, to speak very quietly
and mildly, as she said: 'I must have all the facts of the case before
me, then. I confess I hadn't suspected it was a case.'

'Which means that you'd never dreamed I could fall in love with Miss
Jakes.' Gerald's tone was a little rueful.

'Oh--you have fallen in love with her?'

'Why, that's just what I'm asking you!' he laughed again. 'Or, at least,
not that exactly, for of course it's not a question of being in love.
But I think her wise and good and gentle, and she cares for me--I think;
and it seems almost like the finger of destiny--finding her here. Have
you any idea how much money she has? It must be quite a lot,' said
Gerald.

Helen was ready with her facts. 'A very safe three thousand a year, I
believe. Not much, of course, but quite enough for what you want to do.
But,' she added, after the pause in which he reflected on this sum--it
was a good deal less than he had taken for granted--'I don't think that
Althea would marry you on that basis. She is very proud and very
romantic. If you want her to marry you, you will have to make her feel
that you care for her in herself.' It was her own pride that now
steadied her pulses and steeled her nerves. She would be as fair to
Gerald's case as though he were her brother; she would be too fair,
perhaps. Here was the pitfall of her pride that she did not clearly see.
Perhaps it was with a grim touch of retribution that she promised
herself that since he could think of Althea Jakes, he most certainly
should have her.

'Yes, she is proud,' said Gerald. 'That's one of the things one so likes
in her. She'd never hold out a finger, however much she cared.'

'You will have to hold out both hands,' said Helen.

'You think she won't have me unless I can pretend to be in love with
her? I'm afraid I can't take that on.'

'I'm