Well, you might talk to her sometimes and ask her if she ever thinks of
getting married--"

"I have done that,"--interrupted Helmsley--"and she has always said
'No.'"

"Never mind what she _has_ said--ask her again, David,"--persisted
Angus--"And then lead her on little by little to talk about me--"

"Lead her on to talk about you--yes!" and Helmsley nodded his head
sagaciously.

"David, my dear old man, you _will_ interrupt me,"--and Angus laughed
like a boy--"Lead her on, I say,--and find out whether she likes me ever
so little--and then----"

"And then?" queried Helmsley, his old eyes beginning to sparkle--"Must I
sing your praises to her?"

"Sing my praises! No, by Jove!--there's nothing to praise in me. I don't
want you to say a word, David. Let _her_ speak--hear what _she_
says--and then--and then tell _me_!"

"Then tell _you_--yes--yes, I see!" And Helmsley nodded again in a
fashion that was somewhat trying to Reay's patience. "But, suppose she
finds fault with you, and says you are not at all the style of man she
likes--what then?"

"Then,"--said Reay, gloomily--"my book will never be finished!"

"Dear, dear!" Helmsley raised his hands with a very well acted gesture
of timid concern--"So bad as all that!"

"So bad as all that!" echoed Reay, with a quick sigh; "Or rather so good
as all that. I don't know how it has happened, David, but she has quite
suddenly become the very life of my work. I don't think I could get on
with a single page of it, if I didn't feel that I could go to her and
ask her what she thinks of it."

"But,"--said Helmsley, in a gentle, argumentative way--"all this is very
strange! She is not an educated woman."

Reay laughed lightly.

"No? What do you call an educated woman, David?"

Helmsley thought a moment. The situation was a little difficult, for he
had to be careful not to say too much.

"Well, I mean,"--he said, at last--"She is not a lady."

Reay's eyes flashed sudden indignation.

"Not a lady!" he ejaculated--"Good God! Who is a lady then?"

Helmsley glanced at him covertly. How fine the man looked, with his
tall, upright figure, strong, thoughtful face, and air of absolute
determination!

"I'm afraid,"--he murmured, humbly--"I'm afraid I don't know how to
express myself,--but what I want to say is that she is not what the
world would call a lady,--just a simple lace-mender,--real 'ladies'
would not ask her to their houses, or make a friend of her, perhaps--"