Virginia sitting opposite to pour his coffee. All the others vanished
to some limbo of their own.

The Rajah rubbed his hands delightedly.

"We are coming on famously, famously, my deah Virginia. Two weeks
gone, heavy snows predicted for the mountain region, and nothing,
practically nothing at all, accomplished on the otheh side of the
canyon. When you marry, my deah, you shall have a block of C. G. R.
preferred stock to keep you in pin-money."

"I?" she queried. "But, Uncle Somerville, I don't understand--"

The Rajah laughed.

"That was a very pretty blush, my deah. Bless your innocent soul, if
I were young Misteh Winton, I'm not sure but I should consideh the
game well lost."

She was gazing at him wide-eyed now, and the blush had left a pallor
behind it.

"You mean that I--that I--"

"I mean that you are a helpeh worth having, Miss Carteret. Anotheh
time Misteh Winton won't pay cou't to a cha'ming young girl and try to
build a railroad at one and the same moment, I fancy. Hah!"

The startled eyes veiled themselves swiftly, and Virginia's voice sank
to its softest cadence.