urried, wished rather that she had not come, wished that
she had defied the wolf, outfaced the butcher, done anything except
enter these rooms.

She shifted the bundle. "I have been gadding about in Wall Street. I
never was there before, but it is so nice and windy I may go there
again. This is just a good-day and good-bye."

As she spoke she turned, and as she turned Lennox' heart smote him. He
hurried to her.

"See here! You can't go like this. Have a cup of tea."

Cassy gave him the rare seduction of her smile. "Thank you. I am out on
business and I never drink in business hours."

But now Lennox had got himself between her and the vestibule.

"Business!" he repeated. "What is it? Anything in my line? Let's
transact it here. Wall Street is no place"--for a pretty girl he was
about to say but, desisting, he substituted--"for you."

"But you are expecting people."

"How in the world did you know? Anyway, they are not here yet and if
they were they would be glad to meet you."

"I wonder!" said Cassy, whose wonder concerned not their pleasure but
her own, and concerned it because she hated snobs, among whom she knew
that Lennox moved.

"Now, tell me," he resumed.

Cassy, realising that it must be then or never, looked up at him.

"You remember father's violin?"

"I should say I did."

"Well, my business in Wall Street was to offer it as--what do you call
it?--as collateral."

Lennox indicated the bundle. "Is that it?"

Cassy nodded. "I had to hide it and smuggle it out without his knowing
it. He thinks it stolen. If he knew, he would kill me. As it is, he has
gone crazy. To quiet him, I said I would go to the police."

Lennox laughed. "And I am the police!"

"Yes, you're the police."

"All right then. The police have recovered it. Take it back to him. How
much do you need? Will a hundred do?"

That was not Cassy's idea. She shook her docked head at it. "You're the
police but I am a business man. If you make the loan, you must keep the
collateral."

"You are a little Jew, that's what you are," Lennox, affecting
annoyance, replied.

Cassy smiled, "I like your jeu d'esprit. But not well enough to accept
money as a gift."

"Good Lord!" Lennox protested. "Look here! I am not giving money away. I
don't mean it as a gift. Pay me back whenever you like. Until then, what
do you expect me to do with that thing? Give serenades? No, take it back
to your father. I know just how he feels about it. He tol