confess, that it contained persons of such liberality as yours."

Rowland replied that, evidently, she had done the world but scanty
justice. "No," objected Miss Garland, after a pause, "it is like
something in a fairy tale."

"What, pray?"

"Your coming here all unknown, so rich and so polite, and carrying off
my cousin in a golden cloud."

If this was badinage Miss Garland had the best of it, for Rowland almost
fell a-musing silently over the question whether there was a possibility
of irony in that transparent gaze. Before he withdrew, Mrs. Hudson made
him tell her again that Roderick's powers were extraordinary. He had
inspired her with a clinging, caressing faith in his wisdom. "He will
really do great things," she asked, "the very greatest?"

"I see no reason in his talent itself why he should not."

"Well, we 'll think of that as we sit here alone," she rejoined. "Mary
and I will sit here and talk about it. So I give him up," she went on,
as he was going. "I 'm sure you 'll be the best of friends to him,
but if you should ever forget him, or grow tired of him, or lose your
interest in him, and he should come to any harm or any trouble, please,
sir, remember"--And she paused, with a tremulous voice.

"Remember, my dear madam?"

"That he is all I have--that he is everything--and that it would be very