"The man lost his money,—every cent."
"Then what happened?"
"She showed plainly that she had never cared for him, and so, you see, there were two persons made wretched, and the last condition of that man was worse than the first. He might have recovered from his fancy if he had not married her. She would have been free to marry the man she really did love, though her family objected because he was poor. So it was a pitiful disappointment all around. The circle widened and eventually included more than the two at first concerned. Don't make any such experiment, my dear child."
Gwen gave a long sigh. "My first millionaire, and to think I must deliberately let him go. Lots of girls do marry men they aren't madly in love with, and they seem to get along perfectly well."
"If there were no one else there would be less risk."
Gwen made no immediate reply. "Of course," she said after a moment, and lifting her head high. "Why should there be anyone else? There couldn't possibly be. That would be utterly absurd." She began to prod holes in the earth with a stick.
"Then why worry over it? Let things take their course."
"Oh, but I have to decide. I promised I would."
"The millionaire?"
"No. A—a girl."