r every interview she seems to grow more and more reliant upon his
help. Once or twice she has been embarrassed when I have spoken about
Jasper Cole and has changed the subject."

Frank pursed his lips thoughtfully, and a hard little look came into his
eyes, which did not promise well for Jasper.

"So that is it," he said, and shrugged his shoulders. "If she cares for
him, it is not my business."

"But it is your business," said the other sharply. "She was fond enough
of you to offer to marry you."

Further talk was cut short by the arrival of the girl. Their meeting at
Geneva had been to some extent a chance one. She was going through to
Chamonix to spend the winter, and Saul Arthur Mann seized the
opportunity of taking a short and pleasant holiday. Hearing that Frank
was in Switzerland, she had telegraphed him to meet her.

"Are you staying any time in Switzerland?" she asked him as they
strolled along the beautiful quay.

"I am going back to London to-night," he replied.

"To-night," she said in surprise.

He nodded.

"But I am staying here for two or three days," she protested.

"I intended also staying for two or three days," he smiled, "but my
business will not wait."

Nevertheless, she persuaded him to stay till the morrow.

They were at breakfast when the morning mail was delivered, and Frank
noted that she went rapidly through the dozen letters which came to her,
and she chose one for first reading. He could not help but see that that
bore an English stamp, and his long acquaintance with the curious
calligraphy of Jasper Cole left him in no doubt as to who was the
correspondent. He saw with what eagerness she read the letter, the
little look of disappointment when she turned to an inside sheet and
found that it had not been filled, and his mind was made up. He had a
post also, which he examined with some evidence of impatience.

"Your mail is not so nice as mine," said the girl with a smile.

"It is not nice at all," he grumbled; "the one thing I wanted, and, to
be very truthful, May, the one inducement--"

"To stay over the night," she added, "was--what?"

"I have been trying to buy a house on the lake," he said, "and the
infernal agent at Lausanne promised to write telling me whether my terms
had been agreed to by his client."

He looked down at the table and frowned. Saul Arthur Mann had a great
and extensive knowledge of human nature. He had remarked the
disappointment on Frank's face,