uring her absence
mostly occupied his study. The maid, however, turned on the gas, and as
she did so a small girl of four slipped in behind her. She was a very
pretty child, with gray eyes and black eyelashes, and she stared in the
full, frank manner of infancy at old Jasper. She was not a shy child,
and felt so little fear of this good-natured, cherry-cheeked old man,
that when Anne withdrew she still remained in the room.

Jasper had a surface love for children; he would not take any trouble
about them, but they amused him, and he found pleasure in watching their
unsophisticated ways. His good-natured, smiling face appealed to a
certain part of Daisy Home, not a very high part certainly, but with the
charming frankness of babyhood, the part appealed to gave utterance to
its desire.

"Have 'ou brought me a present?" she demanded, running up to old Jasper
and laying her hand on his knee.

"No, my dear," he replied quickly. "I'm so sorry; I forgot it."

"Did 'ou?" said Daisy, puckering her pretty brows; "Then 'ou're not like
our pretty lady; she did not forget; she brought lots and lots and
lots."

"I am very sorry," replied Jasper; "I will think of it next time." And
then Mr. Home coming in, the two went into the little study.

"I am your wife's half-brother," said Jasper, introducing himself
without preface, for he had marked out his line of action before he
came.

"Indeed!" replied Mr. Home. He was not a man easily surprised, but this
announcement did bring a slight color into his face. "You are Mr.
Harman," he repeated. "I am sorry my wife is away. She is staying at
Torquay with our eldest boy, who has been ill. She has seen your
daughter."

"Not my daughter, sir, my niece--a fine girl, but Quixotic, a little
fanciful and apt to take up whims, but a fine girl for all that."

"I, too, have seen Miss Harman," answered Mr. Home. "I met her once in
Regent's Park, and, without knowing anything about us, she was good to
our children. You must pardon me, sir, if in expressing the same opinion
about her we come to it by different roads. It seems to me that the
fine traits in Miss Harman's character are _due_ to her Quixotic or
unworldly spirit."

For a moment Jasper Harman felt puzzled, then he chuckled inwardly. "The
man who says that, is unworldly himself, therefore unpractical. So much
the better for my purpose." Aloud he said, "Doubtless you put the case
best, sir; but I will not take up your valuable time d