He says her bare appearance would suffice to condemn her--a bold, fast,
shameless, brazen-faced creature. But you will forgive me, I am sure, my
dear young lady: I ought not to discuss such painted Jezebels before
you. We will leave this person's name blank. I will not sully your
pen--I mean, your typewriter--by asking you to transcribe it.'

I made up my mind at once. 'Mr. Ashurst,' I said, looking up from my
keyboard, '_I_ can give you this girl's name; and then you can insert
the proviso immediately.'

'_You_ can? My dear young lady, what a wonderful person you are! You
seem to know everybody, and everything. But perhaps she was at
Schlangenbad with Lady Georgina, and you were there also?'

'She was,' I answered, deliberately. 'The name you want is--Lois
Cayley!'

He let his notes drop in his astonishment.

I went on with my typewriting, unmoved. 'Provided always that the said
Harold Ashurst Tillington does not marry Lois Cayley; in which case I
will and desire that the said estate shall pass to----whom shall I put
in, Mr. Ashurst?'

He leant forward with his fat hands on his ample knees. 'It was really
_you_?' he inquired, open-mouthed.

I nodded. 'There is no use in denying the truth. Mr. Tillington did ask
me to be his wife, and I refused him.'

'But, my dear Miss Cayley----'

'The difference in station?' I said; 'the difference, still greater, in
this world's goods? Yes, I know. I admit all that. So I declined his
offer. I did not wish to ruin his prospects.'

The Urbane Old Gentleman eyed me with a sudden tenderness in his glance.
'Young men are lucky,' he said, slowly, after a short pause; '--and--
Higginson is an idiot. I say it deliberately--an idiot! How could one
dream of trusting the judgment of a flunkey about a lady? My dear,
excuse the familiarity from one who may consider himself in a certain
sense a contingent uncle--suppose we amend the last clause by the
omission of the word _not_. It strikes me as superfluous. "Provided
always the said Harold Ashurst Tillington consents to marry"-- I think
that sounds better!'

He looked at me with such fatherly regard that it pricked my heart ever
to have poked fun at his Interpretation of Prophecy on Stock Exchange
principles. I think I flushed crimson. 'No, no,' I answered, firmly.
'That will not do either, please. That's worse than the other way. You
must not put it, Mr. Ashurst. I could not consent to be willed away to
anybody.'

He leant forwa