"Don't count your chickens——!" said cautious Marie.
"A coward's proverb!" cried Arthur gaily. "Why, you lose half the fun if you don't!"
"Even if we do fail, we shall have had our fun," Joe remarked philosophically.
The others could hardly follow him to these serene heights. Amabel had persuaded gold out of her "governor." Marie felt decidedly responsible to old Sarradet; and the pledge that Arthur had given to fortune was very heavy.
"If it becomes necessary, we'll try to feel like that," said Arthur, "but I hope we shan't have to try."
"Of course we shan't," Amabel insisted eagerly. "How can it fail? Of course it mayn't be quite such an enormous success as Help Me——"
"It'll knock Help Me Out Quickly into a cocked hat," Joe pronounced decisively. "Just see if it don't!" He turned to Marie. "Then what sort of a smile shall we see on old Sidney's face?" He could not quite forgive Sidney Barslow (hero as he was!) for having refused to "come in."
"Sidney's a wise man about business and—and money. Wiser than we are perhaps!" Marie smiled as she ate her ice.
"Sidney's developing all the virtues at a great pace," laughed Amabel. "Under somebody's influence!"
Joe laughed too; so did Marie, but she also blushed a little. Arthur was suddenly conscious of a joke which was new to him—something which the other three understood but he did not. He looked at Joe in involuntary questioning. Joe winked. He saw Marie's blush; it caused him a vague displeasure.