"Lily," said Pete, "is leading far too exciting a life to be in love
with any one."

Punctually at nine, Mr. Lanley rang the bell of the flat. He had paused a
few minutes before doing so, not wishing to weaken the effect of his
mission by arriving out of breath. Adelaide had come to see him just
before lunch. She pretended to minimize the importance of her news, but
he knew she did so to evade reproach for the culpable irresponsibility of
her attitude toward the young man's first visit.

"And do you know anything more about him than you did yesterday?" he
asked.

She did. It appeared that Vincent had telephoned her from down town just
before she came out.

"Tiresome young man," she said, twisting her shoulders. "It seems there's
nothing against him. His father was a doctor, his mother comes of decent
people and is a respected reformer, the young man works for an ambitious
new firm of brokers, who speak highly of him and give him a salary of
$5000 a year."

"The whole thing must be put a stop to," said Mr. Lanley.

"Of course, of course," said his daughter. "But how? I can't forbid him
the house because he's just an average young man."

"I don't see why not, or at least on the ground that he's not the husband
you would choose for her."