Jordan reluctantly turned away, and, as it happened, met Jimmy coming out of the auction-room with perfect satisfaction in his face.
"I feel that I owe you a good deal. In fact, I'm afraid I can't express my gratitude as I ought," he said. "Merril's man has got her, but I have a clear thousand dollars to hand over to my father. Still, there's something that puzzles me. What brought Forster here?"
Jordan laughed. "Your sister."
"Eleanor?"
"Of course!" said Jordan dryly. "No doubt, because she is your sister, you don't credit her with any useful capacity."
"Eleanor is clever," said Jimmy reflectively. "Still, there are subjects girls know nothing about—and, anyway, there was Mrs. Forster's attitude to consider. It's hardly in human nature that she should be pleased to see her husband staking his money to please her children's teacher."
"Exactly! That is what made the thing cleverer. She has Mrs. Forster's good-will too."
"Then," said Jimmy decisively, "she must be a very kindly lady."
"Or your sister a very capable young woman. You seem to find it a little difficult to recognize that."
Jimmy dismissed the subject with a little gesture. "Well," he said, "I'm almost bewildered. The thing was so simple. Why didn't Merril think of it?"