What did I ever care
for the money? I've had a happy home with you ever since we were
married, and I guess I shall have as long as you live, whether we go on
to the Back Bay, or go back to the old house at Lapham. I know who's
to blame, and I blame myself. It was my forcing Rogers on to you." She
came back to this with her helpless longing, inbred in all Puritan
souls, to have some one specifically suffer for the evil in the world,
even if it must be herself.

"It hasn't come to the worst yet, Persis," said her husband. "But I
shall have to hold up on the new house a little while, till I can see
where I am."

"I shouldn't care if we had to sell it," cried his wife, in passionate
self-condemnation. "I should be GLAD if we had to, as far as I'm
concerned."

"I shouldn't," said Lapham.

"I know!" said his wife; and she remembered ruefully how his heart was
set on it.

He sat musing. "Well, I guess it's going to come out all right in the
end. Or, if it ain't," he sighed, "we can't help it. May be Pen
needn't worry so much about Corey, after all," he continued, with a
bitter irony new to him. "It's an ill wind that blows nobody good.
And there's a chance," he ended, with a still bitterer laugh, "that
Rogers will come to time, after all."

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Mrs. Lapham, with a gleam of hope in
her eyes. "What chance?"

"One in ten million," said Lapham; and her face fell again. "He says
there are some English parties after him to buy these mills."

"Well?"

"Well, I gave him twenty-four hours to prove himself a liar."

"You don't believe there are any such parties?"

"Not in THIS world."

"But if there were?"

"Well, if there were, Persis----But pshaw!"

"No, no!" she pleaded eagerly. "It don't seem as if he COULD be such a
villain. What would be the use of his pretending? If he brought the
parties to you."

"Well," said Lapham scornfully, "I'd let them have the mills at the
price Rogers turned 'em in on me at. I don't want to make anything on
'em. But guess I shall hear from the G. L. & P. first. And when they
make their offer, I guess I'll have to accept it, whatever it is. I
don't think they'll have a great many competitors."

Mrs. Lapham could not give up her hope. "If you could get your price
from those English parties before they knew that the G. L. & P. wanted
to buy the mills, would it let you out with Rogers?"

"Just about," said Lapham.

"Then I know he'll move