conceal her confusion.

"You--you must give me time to think," she stammered. "Suppose I
don't love your son--I should want something--something to
compensate."

"Something to compensate?" echoed Ryder surprised and a little
disconcerted. "Why, the boy will inherit millions--I don't know
how many."

"No--no, not money," rejoined Shirley; "money only compensates
those who love money. It's something else--a man's honour--a man's
life! It means nothing to you."

He gazed at her, not understanding. Full of his own project, he
had mind for nothing else. Ignoring therefore the question of
compensation, whatever she might mean by that, he continued:

"You can win him if you make up your mind to. A woman with your
resources can blind him to any other woman."

"But if--he loves Judge Rossmore's daughter?" objected Shirley.

"It's for you to make him forget her--and you can," replied the
financier confidently. "My desire is to separate him from this
Rossmore woman at any cost. You must help me." His sternness
relaxed somewhat and his eyes rested on her kindly. "Do you know,
I should be glad to think you won't have to leave us. Mrs. Ryder
has taken a fancy to you, and I myself shall miss you when you
go."

"You ask me to be your son's wife and you know nothing of my
family," said Shirley.

"I know you--that is sufficient," he replied.

"No--no you don't," returned Shirley, "nor do you know your son.
He has more constancy--more strength of character than you
think--and far more principle than you have."

"So much the greater the victory for you," he answered good
humouredly.

"Ah," she said reproachfully, "you do not love your son."

"I do love him," replied Ryder warmly. "It's because I love him
that I'm such a fool in this matter. Don't you see that if he
marries this girl it would separate us, and I should lose him. I
don't want to lose him. If I welcomed her to my house it would
make me the laughing-stock of all my friends and business
associates. Come, will you join forces with me?"

Shirley shook her head and was about to reply when the telephone
bell rang. Ryder took up the receiver and spoke to the butler
downstairs:

"Who's that? Judge Stott? Tell him I'm too busy to see anyone.
What's that? A man's life at stake? What's that to do with me?
Tell him--"

On hearing Stott's name, Shirley nearly betrayed herself. She
turned pale and half-started up from her chair. Something serious
must have happened