r some years to come, and I don't feel disposed to make
myself prematurely old by toiling for a few hundreds per annum in the
meantime. Now all this I have frankly and fully explained to Marian. I
dare say she suspects what I should do if she came into possession of
money; there's no harm in that. But she knows perfectly well that, as
things are, we remain intellectual friends.'

'Then listen to me, Jasper. If we hear that Marian gets nothing from her
uncle, you had better behave honestly, and let her see that you haven't
as much interest in her as before.'

'That would be brutality.'

'It would be honest.'

'Well, no, it wouldn't. Strictly speaking, my interest in Marian
wouldn't suffer at all. I should know that we could be nothing but
friends, that's all. Hitherto I haven't known what might come to pass;
I don't know yet. So far from following your advice, I shall let Marian
understand that, if anything, I am more her friend than ever, seeing
that henceforth there can be no ambiguities.'

'I can only tell you that Maud would agree with me in what I have been
saying.'

'Then both of you have distorted views.'

'I think not. It's you who are unprincipled.'

'My dear girl, haven't I been showing you that no man could be more
above-board, more straightforward?'

'You have been talking nonsense, Jasper.'

'Nonsense? Oh, this female lack of logic! Then my argument has been
utterly thrown away. Now that's one of the things I like in Miss Rupert;
she can follow an argument and see consequences. And for that matter so
can Marian. I only wish it were possible to refer this question to her.'

There was a tap at the door. Dora called 'Come in!' and Marian herself
appeared.

'What an odd thing!' exclaimed Jasper, lowering his voice. 'I was that
moment saying I wished it were possible to refer a question to you.'

Dora reddened, and stood in an embarrassed attitude.

'It was the old dispute whether women in general are capable of logic.
But pardon me, Miss Yule; I forget that you have been occupied with sad
things since I last saw you.'

Dora led her to a chair, asking if her father had returned.

'Yes, he came back yesterday.'

Jasper and his sister could not think it likely that Marian had suffered
much from grief at her uncle's death; practically John Yule was a
stranger to her. Yet her face bore the signs of acute mental trouble,
and it seemed as if some agitation made it difficult for her to speak.
The a