She laughed outright, and said:

"I know well enough what your name is, or why should I have come here?
Everybody knows the elegant Mr. Farnham."

The smile faded from his face. "She is more ill-bred than I suspected,"
he thought; "we will condense this interview."

He made no reply to her compliment, but looked steadily at her, waiting
to hear what she wanted, and thinking it was a pity she was so vulgar,
for she looked like the huntress Diana.

Her eyes fell under his glance, which was not at all reassuring. She
said in almost a humble tone:

"I have come to ask a great favor of you. I am in a good deal of
trouble."

"Let us see what it is, and what we can do," said Farnham, and there
was no longer any banter in his voice.

She looked up with sudden pleasure, and her glasses fell from her eyes.
She did not replace them, but, clasping her hands tightly together,
exclaimed:

"Oh, sir, if you can do anything for me----But I don't want to make you
think----" She paused in evident confusion, and Farnham kindly
interposed.

"What I may think is not of any consequence just now. What is it you