ide awake.

"Am I to congratulate you as a millionaire or commiserate with you as
a bearer of burdens, old fellow?" asked Nevil, flinging himself into a
big chair.

"You will congratulate me, I hope, but not about that confounded money
though. Nevil, you are Patricia's guardian. Will you and Renata give
her to me?"

He spoke abruptly and without any preamble, gripping the back of a
chair in his hands. A sudden doubt as to the family acceptance of what
was an unquestionable matter in his eyes suddenly assailed him.

"You want to marry Patricia?"

Christopher nodded. "You can hardly urge we have not had time to know
our own minds," he said, smiling a little.

"No," Nevil admitted, and then added rather distractedly, "What ought
I to urge, though, Christopher? Of course it's the greatest possible
thing that could happen to Patricia, but for you?"

"I'm appealing to Patricia's guardian, who has only her interests to
consider. I'll look after my own. However," he went on hastily, "it's
only fair to tell you, Nevil, I don't mean to take either the fortune
or the name. So long as you'll lend me your own I'll stick to it.
Failing that, my mother's will serve me."

Nevil made no comment beyond a nod. The younger man waited with what
patience he could command.

"Does it seriously affect the matter?" he asked at last, "my refusing
the beastly money?"

Nevil got up slowly and shook himself.

"It affects Patricia's guardians not one bit. It's not as if it were
that, or nothing."

"No, I've enough. Of course if I hadn't I might feel differently about
it. I can keep her in comfort, Nevil."

Nevil got up deliberately and altered the position of a bronze on the
high mantelshelf.

"It's not Patricia I'm thinking about," he said in his slow way, "but
hang it all, you belong to us, Christopher. We must think of you! Have
you counted the risks?"

"I probably understand them better than anyone."

"Then I dismiss further responsibility. I'm really more pleased than
I can say, Christopher. Poor little Patricia! What fortune for her!"

"You clearly understand there won't be any fortune?" persisted the
other bluntly.

"Oh, Peter's fortune? Of course not. Where's the obligation? I'll go
and tell Renata."

He strolled off and Christopher hurried to the West Room, where he
found Aymer and Mr. Aston waiting expectantly. Christopher came to a
standstill by the fireplace and to his amazement found his hands
shaking. He had n