uld I go to Paris when there's so much
for me to do here?"

It could not be said that he took offense, but he hinted at reproval.
"Here, dearest? Where?"

"Here where we are. I don't see how I could go away."

"But you'd _have_ to go away--if we were married."

"Would it be necessary to go so far?"

"Wouldn't it be the farther the better?"

"For some things. But, oh, Claude, I have so many things to consider!"

"But I thought that when a woman married she left--"

"Her father and mother and everything. Yes, I know. But how can I leave
mine--when I'm the only one who has any head? Mother's getting better,
but father's not much good except for mooning over books. And then"--she
hesitated, but whipped herself on--"then there's Matt. He'll be out
before long. Some one must be here to tell them what to do."

He withdrew his arms from about her. "Of course, if you're going to
raise so many difficulties--"

"I'm not raising difficulties, Claude darling. I'm only telling you what
difficulties there are. God knows I wish there weren't any; but what can
I do? If it were just going to Paris and back--"

"Well, why not go--and come back when we're obliged to?"

In the end they compromised on that, each considering it enough for the
present. Rosie was unwilling to dampen his ardor when for the first time
he seemed able to enter into her needs as a human being with cares and
ties. He discussed them all, displaying a wonderful disposition to
shoulder and share them. He went so far as to develop a philanthropic
interest in Matt. Rosie had never known anything so amazing. She clasped
him to her with a kind of fear lest the man should disappear in the god.

"I'll talk to Thor about him," Claude said, confidently. "Got a bee in
his bonnet, Thor has, about helping chaps who come out of jail, and all
that."

Rosie shuddered. It was curiously distasteful for her to apply to Thor.
She felt guilty toward him. If she could do as she chose, she would
never see him again. She said nothing, however, while Claude went on:
"Thor's a top-hole brother, you know. You'll find that out one of these
days. Lots of things I shall have to explain to you." He added, without
leading up to it. "He's engaged to Lois Willoughby."

Rosie sprang from his arms. "What? Already?"

She was standing. He looked up at her curiously. "Already? Already--how?
What do you mean by that?"

She tried to recapture her position.

"Why, already--right after us