s."

She was badly disappointed. She knew that a good deal depended on his
answer to her request, and shrank from making it, because it would prove
the strength or weakness of her hold on him. The man attracted her, and
she had somewhat openly attempted to capture him. She longed for the
position he could give her; she would have married him for that and his
house, but she was willing to risk her success for her brother's welfare.

"I want you to tell Batley that he must keep his hands off of Jim," she
said.

He started at this.

"He can't do the lad much harm. Aren't you attaching a little too much
importance to the matter?"

"No; not in the least," she answered vehemently. "I've told you so
already. But can't you keep to the point? My brother's being ruined in
several ways besides the debts he's heaping up; and I've humbled myself
to beg your help."

"Was it so very hard?" he asked, and his voice grew soft and caressing.

She was shaken to the verge of yielding. The man was handsome,
cultivated, distinguished, she thought. Whether she actually loved him,
she did not know, but he could gratify her ambitions and she was strongly
drawn to him. He had given her a lead, an opening for a few telling words
that might go far toward the accomplishment of her wishes; but, tempted
as she was, she would not utter them. She was loyal to the headstrong
lad; Jim stood first with her.

"That is beside the point," she said with a becoming air of pride. "I
expected you would be willing to do whatever you could. To be refused
what I plead for is new to me."

He considered for a moment or two, watching her with keen appreciation.
Bella in her present mood, with her affectations cast aside, appealed to
him. She was not altogether the woman he would have chosen, but since he
must secure a rich wife, there were obvious benefits to be derived from a
match with her. He devoutly wished he could accede to her request.

"Well?" she broke out impatiently.

"I'm sorry," he said; "I'm unable to do as you desire. Of course, I wish
I could, if only to please you, though I really don't think the thing's
necessary."

"You needn't tell me that again! It's a waste of time; I'm not going to
discuss it. Face the difficulty, whatever it is. Do you mean that you
can't warn off Batley?"

Gladwyne saw that she would insist on a definite answer and in
desperation he told the truth.

"It's out of the question."

It was a shock to her. In a su