"There's no reason why He should bless me for saying anything so
obvious."

"It isn't obvious to me, Diane; and you must let _me_ bless you--bless
you with the mother's blessing, which, I think, must be next to God's."

Then opening her arms wide, she sobbed the one word "Come!" and they had
at last the comfort, dear to women, of weeping in each other's arms.




III


In the private office of the great Franco-American banking-house of Van
Tromp & Co., the partners, having finished their conference, were about
to separate.

"That's all, I think," said Mr. Grimston. He rose with a jerky movement,
which gave him the appearance of a little figure shot out of a box.

Mr. van Tromp remained seated at the broad, flat-topped desk, his head
bent at an angle which gave Mr. Grimston a view of the tips of shaggy
eyebrows, a broad nose, and that peculiar kind of protruding lower lip
before which timid people quail. As there was no response, Mr. Grimston
looked round vaguely on the sombre, handsome furnishings, fixing his
gaze at last on the lithographed portrait of Mr. van Tromp senior, the
founder of the house, hanging above the mantelpiece.