e did not know the cause of Leonard's
impatience: that he must see her before the day passed. She too was an
egoist, in her own way; in the flush of belief of his subjugation she did
not think of attributing to him any other motive than his desire for
herself. As she had made up her mind on the final issue she did not want
to be troubled by a new 'scene.'

But, after all, Leonard was a man; and man's ways are more direct than
woman's. Seeing that he could not achieve his object in any other way,
he said out suddenly, thinking, and rightly, that she would not wish to
force an issue in the presence of her aunt:

'By the way, Miss Norman,' he had always called her 'Miss Norman' in her
aunt's presence: 'I want to have two minutes with you before I go. On a
matter of business,' he added, noticing Miss Rowly's surprised look. The
old lady was old-fashioned even for her age; in her time no young man
would have asked to see a young lady alone on business. Except on one
kind of business; and with regard to that kind of business gentlemen had
to obtain first the confidence and permission of guardians. Leonard saw
the difficulty and said quickly:

'It is on the matter you wrote to me about!'

Stephen was prepared for a nasty shock, but hardly for so nasty a one as
this. There was an indelicacy about it which went far beyond the bounds
of thoughtless conventionality. That such an appeal should be made to
her, and in such a way, savoured of danger. Her woman's intuition gave
her the guard, and at once she spoke, smilingly and gently as one
recalling a matter in which the concern is not her own:

'Of course! It was selfish of me not to have thought of it, and to have
kept you so long waiting. The fact is, Auntie, that Leonard--I like to
call him Leonard, since we were children together, and he is so young;
though perhaps it would be more decorous nowadays to say "Mr.
Everard"--has consulted me about his debts. You know, Auntie dear, that
young men will be young men in such matters; or perhaps you do not, since
the only person who ever worried you has been myself. But I stayed at
Oxford and I know something of young men's ways; and as I am necessarily
more or less of a man of business, he values my help. Don't you,
Leonard?' The challenge was so direct, and the position he was in so
daringly put, that he had to acquiesce. Miss Rowly, who had looked on
with a frown of displeasure, said coldly:

'I know you are yo