.'

'In business, one man can be a company, if he owns all the stock,' said
Mrs. Rushmore, sententiously.

'I don't understand those things,' Margaret answered, impatient to know
the truth. 'Who was it?'

'I hardly think I ought to tell you, my dear. I promised not to. But I
will allow you to guess. That's quite different from telling, and I
think you ought to know, because you are under great obligations to
him.'

'You don't mean to say----' Margaret stopped, and the blood rose slowly
in her face.

'You may ask me if it was one of those two gentlemen we have just left
in the road,' said Mrs. Rushmore. 'But mind, I'm not telling you!'

'Monsieur Logotheti!' Margaret leaned back and bit her lip.

'You've made the discovery yourself, Margaret. Remember that I've told
you nothing. I promised not to, but I thought you ought to know.'

'It's an outrage!' cried Margaret, breaking out. 'How did you dare to
take money from him for me?'

Mrs. Rushmore seemed really surprised now, though she did not say she
was.

'My dear!' she exclaimed, 'you would not have had me refuse, would you?
Money is money, you know.'

The good lady's inherited respect for the stuff was discernible in her
tone.

'Money!' Margaret repeated the word with profound contempt and a good
deal of anger.

'Yes, my dear,' retorted Mrs. Rushmore severely. 'Yes, money. It is
because your father and mother spoke of it in that silly, contemptuous
way that they died so poor. And now that you've got it, take my advice
and don't turn up your nose at it.'

'Do you suppose I'll keep it, now that I know where it comes from? I'll
give it back to him to-day!'

'No, you won't,' answered Mrs. Rushmore, with the conviction of
certainty.

'I tell you I will!' Margaret cried. 'I could not sleep to-night if I
knew that I had money in my possession that was given me--given me like
a gift--by a man who wants to marry me! Ugh! It's disgusting!'

'Margaret, this is ridiculous. Monsieur Logotheti came to see me and
explained the whole matter. He said that he had made a very good
bargain and expected to realise a large sum by the transaction. Do you
suppose that such a good man of business would think of making any one
a present of a hundred thousand pounds? You must be mad! A hundred
thousand pounds is a great deal of money, Margaret. Remember that.'

'So much the better for him! I shall give it back to him at once!'

Mrs. Rushmore smiled.

'You can't,' she s