imed Aline. "And you pretend to be a student of
women's characters! Of course Mrs. Bal was furious because he didn't beg
to do her portrait and then make two, one for her, and one for himself.
Fancy my having to explain! And besides, there must have been more than
that in the affair. She wouldn't have asked him to paint the picture if
she hadn't wanted to see him often alone, and make him fall in love with
her. His giving her the portrait was a kind of defiance, to show her
that he didn't care _that_ for the original."

"Oh, well, if you think so!" said I.

"Mrs. Bal thinks so. And she's enchanted to get her revenge. Not that
she'd have chosen this way, because, of course, it's a sickening thing
to have Ian and all these men know that she's old enough to be the
mother of a grown-up daughter--and to be obliged to throw herself on
their mercy to help her out of the scrape. She laughs and pretends it's
a joke, but she simply _hates_ it. I hinted to her that if you married
the girl there'd be no talk ever about Barrie being Mrs. Ballantree
MacDonald's daughter. That should be _forgotten_, I said, though they
could correspond with each other and be good friends. Barrie would live
in Canada with you, and be out of Mrs. Bal's life altogether. And I
impressed it upon her that your ideal existence was a quiet country
place. It was the same as telling her that she'd be _rid_ of Barrie by
giving her to you. Whereas, if the girl should marry Ian, Somerled's
wife would always be before the public eye, and everybody would be sure
to find out all about her. Mrs. Bal caught my meaning, you may be sure;
and she promised me that Barrie should go everywhere with us, or rather,
with you and the Vannecks, till I can get about. Anyhow, _nowhere_ with
Ian. Now, you see, I've done all I can for you."

"And for yourself," I was mean enough to add, for the thought of what we
were doing together was not a good thought, and it brought out the worst
of me.

"I haven't any one to work for my interests. _You_ have," she retorted;
and as I'd no mind for further recrimination I begged her pardon,
thanked her gratefully, and proceeded to tell all that had happened in
Mrs. Bal's room. It was not pleasant for Aline to hear how prompt
Somerled had been in trying to relieve Mrs. Bal of her burden; but there
was consolation in his disappointment.

"Do I look very horrid?" she questioned anxiously, "or do you think I
might ask him to take pity on me for