eyes cast down]. As you know, I--I--

[She stops, as if afraid of breaking down; then, turning toward him,
cries sharply.]

Oh, are you _really_ my guardian?

PIKE [smiling]. Well, I've got the papers in my grip. I expect--

ETHEL. Oh, I KNOW it! It is only that we didn't fancy, we didn't
expect--

PIKE. I expect you thought I'd be considerable older.

ETHEL. Not only _that_--

PIKE [interrupting gently]. I expect you thought I'd neglected you a
good deal [remorsefully], and it _did_ LOOK like it--never comin' to see
you; but I couldn't hardly manage the time to get away. You see, bein'
trustee of your share of the estate, I don't hardly have a fair show at
my law practice. But when I got your letter, eleven days ago, I says to
myself: "Here, Daniel Voorhees Pike, you old shellback, you've just got
to _take_ time. John Simpson trusted you with his property, and he's
done more [his voice rises, but his tone is affectionate and shows deep
feeling]--he's trusted you to look out for _her_, and now she's come to
a kind of jumpin'-off place in her life--she's thinking of gettin'
married; and you just pack your grip-sack and hike out over there and
stand _by_ her!"

ETHEL [frigidly]. I quite fail to understand your point of view. Perhaps
I had best make it at once clear to you that I am no longer _thinking_
of marrying.

PIKE [leaning back in his chair and smiling on her]. Well, Lord-a-Mercy!

ETHEL. I mean I have decided upon it. The ceremony is to take place
within a fortnight.

PIKE. Well, I declare!

ETHEL. We shall dispense with all delays.

PIKE [slowly and a little sadly]. Well, I don't know as I could rightly
say anything against that. He must be a mighty nice fellow, and you must
think a heap _of_ him!

[With a suppressed sigh.]

That's the way it should be.

[He smiles again and leans toward her in a friendly way.]

And you're happy, are you?

ETHEL [with cold emphasis, sitting very straight in her chair].
Distinctly!

[PIKE'S expression becomes puzzled, he passes his hand over his chin,
looks at her keenly. Then his eyes turn to the spot where HORACE stood
during their interview, and he starts, as though shocked at a sudden
thought.]

PIKE. It ain't that fellow I was talkin' to yonder?

ETHEL [indignantly]. That was my _brother_!

PIKE [relieved, but somewhat embarrassed]. Lord-a-Mercy!

[Recovering himself immediately and smiling.]

But, naturally, I wouldn't remember him. He couldn