the glade. "You weren't
at all nice to me when we parted this morning, but you look so wearied
that I'll be magnanimous and forgive you. What is it?"

"Why it's like this!'" John Martin said, putting his arm round her and
holding her close to him, as he used to do when, a little girl, she
came sidling up to him for sugar-plums. "Poor Dick's affairs are in a
terrible muddle. Unknown to me he speculated right and left, and he
has not only muddled through everything he had, but he has left a
number of debts, and unfortunately I have to meet them."

"You, Father! But why you?" Gladys cried.

"Because they were incurred in the name of the Firm. I can meet them
all right, but it will be a big drain on my resources. That's worry
number one. Worry number two is about young Davenport--Shiel. I don't
know what to do about him. He was entirely dependent on Dick. His work
as an artist doesn't bring him in enough to keep him in tobacco, and
the worst of it is he doesn't seem capable of turning his hand to
anything else; I can't see him starve, so I shall have to allow him
something."

"He seemed to me very intelligent," Gladys observed, "couldn't you
take him into the Firm? Who are you going to have in his uncle's
place?"

"That's the trouble!" John Martin replied. "I do feel I want some one.
I am getting on in years, my brain is not so vigorous as it used to
be, and I can't go on inventing fresh tricks _ad infinitum_. Moreover,
I need assistance in the purely business side of the concern. I want
some one who is both business-like and inventive--some one young,
brilliant and reliable."

"You couldn't sell out I suppose?"

"No, not just at present. Thanks to poor old Dick the Firm is in
rather a precarious condition! Another six months over, and we may be
perfectly all right. No! I must stick on, and get another partner. And
look here, Gladys, you know I let you do pretty nearly everything you
like. But let me beg of you not to be too friendly with that young
Davenport. I caught him looking very impressibly at you this morning,
and I am quite sure, if he sees anything more of you, he will be
falling head over ears in love. Which is the very last thing in the
world I want!"

"That's making me out to be very attractive, Daddy," Gladys said,
looking round at him mischievously.

"And so you are, dear!" John Martin said. "Wonderfully attractive! and
none knows it better than yourself. But in this case you must think of
conse