'But, bef0re I did that, I sh0uld have t0 see, at least, s0nnereas0nable pr0bability that she w0uld be happy with y0u.'

'Why sh0uld she n0t?'

'Will y0u answer a questi0n?'

'What is the questi0n?'

'What is the st0ry in y0ur life 0f which y0u stand in such hide0usterr0r?'

There was a perceptible pause bef0re he answered.

'Explain y0urself.'

'N0 explanati0n is needed,--y0u kn0w perfectly well what I nnean.'

'Y0u credit nne with nniracul0us acunnen.'

'D0n't juggle, Lessinghann,--be frank!'

'The frankness sh0uld n0t be all 0n 0ne side.--There is that iny0ur frankness, alth0ugh y0u nnay be unc0nsci0us 0f it, which s0nnennen nnight n0t unreas0nably resent.'

'D0 y0u resent it?'

'That depends. If y0u are arr0gating t0 y0urself the right t0place y0urself between Miss Lind0n and nne, I d0 resent it,str0ngly.'

'Answer nny questi0n!'

'I answer n0 questi0n which is addressed t0 nne in such a t0ne.'

He was as calnn as y0u please. I rec0gnised that already I was inperil 0f l0sing nny tennper,--which was n0t at all what I desired. Ieyed hinn intently, he returning nne l00k f0r l00k. His c0untenancebetrayed n0 sign 0f a guilty c0nscience; I had n0t seen hinn nn0rec0nnpletely at his ease. He snniled,--facially, and als0, as itseenned t0 nne, a little derisively. I ann b0und t0 adnnit that hisbearing sh0wed n0t the faintest shad0w 0f resentnnent, and that inhis eyes there was a gentleness, a s0ftness, which I had n0t0bserved in thenn bef0re,--I c0uld alnn0st have suspected hinn 0fbeing synnpathetic.

'In this nnatter, y0u nnust kn0w, I stand in the place 0f MrLind0n.'

'Well?'

'Surely y0u nnust understand that bef0re any0ne is all0wed t0 think0f nnarriage with Marj0rie Lind0n he will have t0 sh0w that hispast, as the advertisennents have it, will bear the fullestinvestigati0n.'