ringin' him in, as bold as
brass; whatever do you think your Auntie'd say to that, Miss--there! I
nearly called you Miss Beatrice again. After all this time! Thinkin' of
your Aunt Nasturtium, I suppose? But straight ... Smith! Where did you
pick up that young man?"

"Pick him up? I didn't," I began, feeling that a long explanation was
ahead of me. "As a matter of fact, he picked me up----"

"Oh, shockin'," said Million, giggling more than before. "Whoever said I
was going to allow you to have followers?"

This annoyed me.

"Followers!" I exclaimed quite violently.

It really was exasperating. First the Honourable Jim! Then the girl
called "Bella"! Then my mistress! They were all taking it for granted!
They were all foisting him upon me, this young American with the sleek,
mouse-coloured hair and the upholstered shoulders! Upon me!

"His name is Mr. Hiram P. Jessop----"

"'Tain't pretty, but what's in a name?" said Million, as she held out
her wrist for me to insert the microscopic pearl buttons into the
fairy-silk loops that fastened her cuffs. "Who is he?"

"He's your cousin," I told her.

And, of course, as I expected, it was some time before I was able to get
my young mistress to believe this.

"You're sure," she said at last, "that he's not having us on?"

"I don't think so," I said rather sadly, for I thought again of what
that cousinship might mean--the loss of all Miss Million's fortune!
However, I'd leave that aspect of it for the present. Let him explain
that. They hadn't been introduced yet.

I said: "He's extremely anxious to meet you, let me tell you. He thought
of nothing else all the time that he was talking to me. Be as nice to
him as you can, won't you?"

"Well, I don't see why I should go out of my way," demurred Million
exasperatingly. I had hoped that she might appeal to the chivalrous side
of the young American's nature; appeal to it so that he might give up
his idea of fighting for his rights--if they are his rights! But if
Million is going to put her back up and become independent--well,
they'll fight. And there'll be a catastrophe, and the downfall of
Million's prosperity, and general wretchedness for Miss Million and her
maid--oh, dear, what a prospect!

I began to coax her.

"Oh, yes, be nice. He's rather a dear, this cousin of yours. And he was
so absurdly pleased, do you know, to hear that you had black hair. He
admires brunettes."

"Very kind of him," said Million q