'And what will you do about the other man?'
Her answer was to give him both hands, saying, 'Help me!'
He looked long at her and at last answered, 'Yes, if you'll let me.'
'Thanks,' she murmured, pressing his hands and then letting them go with a sigh of relief. He smiled at her, but not very brightly; there was an effort about it. She understood that the subject was painful to him, because it suggested degradation for her; she had a hope that it was distasteful for another reason; to her these were explanations enough for the forced aspect of his smile.
He took up the paper again, and appeared to read it over.
'Not a bad list,' he said. 'You ought to be able to realise pretty well, as prices go now; they're not ruling high, you know.'
'What a lot you learn from your eyrie here!'
'All that comes in in business,' he assured her. 'No, they're not so bad, except the speculations, of course.'
'Except Glowing Stars! But, after all, most of them are Glowing Stars.'
He appeared to consider again; then he said slowly, and as though every word cost him a thought, 'I shouldn't altogether despair even of Glowing Stars. No, don't be in a hurry to despair of Glowing Stars.'