considerably smitten with Eunice Aspenick and that the match
might come off. In return for which I managed, I believe, to convey to
him a sort of twofold impression--first, that I might possibly marry
myself--some day; secondly, that, when I did, Margaret would be
dismissed with a decent provision--a small addition to the little income
which she has from her father. For reasons of my own I laid some stress
on the latter half of that impression, Austin." She was looking over to
where Margaret lay in the hammock. "She's very young," she said softly,
"and of course, the man's glib and in a way good-looking."

"Are you beginning to feel a little responsible? It's easy work,
marrying off other people!"

"But they make such a beautiful pair!" she pleaded. She did not mean
Margaret and Dormer. "I love just to see them together. And the idea of
it! How Leonard would have laughed! Can't you hear that great big
outrageous guffaw of his breaking out over it? But you don't think I'd
force her?"

"No. And he's a fine lad. You wouldn't be going far wrong."

"She's very young. She might--make a mistake. I thought Mr. Dormer had
better understand her real situation."

"O mistress of many wiles, I understand! But is Lacey to share the
impression?"

"I should like him to--up to the last possible minute. And then--the
fairy godmother! It's all on the old-fashioned lines--but I like it."
Her voice dropped. "The old, mischievous, none-too-respectable fairy
godmother, Austin!"

"Suppose the fairy godmother seemed not so very old herself--that
mischief proved attractive--that----?"

"Impossible--with her here! Oh, you really think so, only you're always
so polite. But anything short of--of that--would be quite within the
four corners of the scheme." She laughed at me, at her schemes, at
herself; yet about the two last she was in deadly earnest. So she grew
grave again in a moment. "He'd have to get over so much to make that
seem even possible."

Well, that was true enough. Fillingford's son--the accomplice of my
evening expedition to Hatcham Ford! There was something to get over,
certainly. But there was something to get over in the other plan, too.

"Still, I don't mind its seeming--just possible," said Jenny. She looked
at me with an air of wondering how I should take what she was going to
say. "It might just be made to seem--a danger!"

"This is walking on a razor's edge, isn't it?"

"Yes--it is rather. Mr. Dormer's got to