"Useful! I'm afraid your executors have different ideals of utility."
"Of course, I've got to go through with the thing for awhile. But I--I'd rather give you my money to cure the plague spots."
"Not all of it, Jerry," she cried, "but would you, some of it? Just a very little?"
"Of course--as much as you like. You can do a lot more with it than I can."
In my hiding place, I didn't know whether to be alarmed or amused. She had done well. Jerry was already giving her his twenty millions. She was a capital missionary. It seemed about time I made my entrance, so I coughed, then walked through the door and faced them.
"I beg pardon for intruding," I said dryly, "but the fact is that it's almost if not quite bedtime."
They got to their feet in some haste, Jerry red as a turkey-cock, the girl, I think, a little pale.
"Is it--_is_ it Roger?" stammered Jerry. "I hadn't the slightest notion--" And from his appearance I could readily believe him. "Is it dinner--bedtime? Why, of course, it _must_ be." He shuffled his feet awkwardly and looked from me to the girl. "This is--Una, Roger. We've been talking."
"So I should suppose," I remarked, aware of the cool and rather contemptuous glances that the young lady was sending in my direction. "It's too bad that I interrupted. I hope that Miss--er--"
"Quite so. I hope that Miss Smith will forgive me. We are a little unused to visitors and of course--"
"I'm going at once," she said, moving a step or two, but seeing that I stood in the door, hesitated.
"I don't want you to go yet, please," said Jerry, recovering his coolness amazingly. "I want you and Roger to know each other. I've been telling her all about us, Roger. She's awfully interested. She just happened in, you know. It's all been very agreeable."
"I don't doubt it in the least," I remarked. "Of course, you have settled all the affairs of the nations between you."
"Oh, not quite that," laughed Jerry uneasily. "But we did have a talk, didn't we, Una?"
"I'm sure I--I hadn't the slightest idea how late it was," said the girl stiffly, fingering at her hair.
"Time passes so quickly when one is amused or interested," I said.
"I was thinking, Roger, how nice it would be if Una would come to dinner at the Manor."