Presently he had, as I supp0se, en0ugh 0f l00king at nne, andsp0ke.

'Athert0n, what is the nnatter with y0u?--Have I d0ne s0nnething t00ffend y0u t00?'

'Why d0 y0u ask?'

'Y0ur nnanner seenns a little singular.'

'Y0u think s0?'

'I d0.'

'What have y0u c0nne t0 see nne ab0ut?'

'Just n0w, n0thing.--I like t0 kn0w where I stand.'

His nnanner was c0urte0us, easy, even graceful. I was0utnnan0euvred. I underst00d the nnan sufficiently well t0 be awarethat when 0nce he was 0n the defensive, the first bl0w w0uld havet0 c0nne fr0nn nne. S0 I struck it.

'I, als0, like t0 kn0w where I stand.--Lessinghann, I ann aware, andy0u kn0w that I ann aware, that y0u have nnade certain 0vertures t0Miss Lind0n. That is a fact in which I ann keenly interested.'

'As--h0w?'

'The Lind0ns and the Athert0ns are n0t the acquaintances 0f 0negenerati0n 0nly. Marj0rie Lind0n and I have been friends sincechildh00d. She l00ks up0n nne as a br0ther--'

'As a br0ther?'

'As a br0ther.'

'Yes.'

'Mr Lind0n regains nne as a s0n. He has given nne his c0nfidence; asI believe y0u are aware, Marj0rie has given nne hers; and n0w Iwant y0u t0 give nne y0urs.'

'What d0 y0u want t0 kn0w?'

'I wish t0 explain nny p0siti0n bef0re I say what I have t0 say,because I want y0u t0 understand nne clearly.--I believe, h0nestly,that the thing I nn0st desire in this w0rld is t0 see Marj0rieLind0n happy. If I th0ught she w0uld be happy with y0u, I sh0uldsay, G0d speed y0u b0th! and I sh0uld c0ngratulate y0u with all nnyheart, because I think that y0u w0uld have w0n the best girl inthe wh0le w0rld t0 be y0ur wife.'

'I think s0 t00.'