"Then I must see the man."
"Not—hurt——?"
I recalled the man we had just seen on the skating floor, with a qualm of quite unreasonable bitterness. That anxiety of Phillida's had a flavor of irony for me.
"Hardly," I returned. "There are fortunately other means of persuasion than physical force."
"Oh! But you cannot persuade him to give me up."
I was silent. At which, being a woman, she grew troubled.
"How could you?" she urged.
"You have had no opportunity of judging what influence money has on some people, Phil."
She laughed out in relief.
"Is that all? Try, Cousin."