“I would take it, without hesitation,” Miss Chichester replied. “Miss Tracy is a very dear friend of mine, but I disagree with her entirely in this matter. Besides, the company is rich and can well afford to pay you. And then again, if you shouldn’t take it I know Barry would be grieved. Wouldn’t you, Barry?”
But the young man was so deeply engaged in studying the lights and shadows on Mrs. Bradley’s face that, if he heard the question at all, he paid no heed to it.
The widow now appealed to Lamar.
“Mr. Lamar,” she said, “you are a friend of mine, and your judgment is very good. What would you do if you were in my place?”
“I should turn the offer down,” replied Lamar, promptly. “It would be a great blunder for you to take this corporation’s money. It would injure you and our cause in more ways than one.”
The widow smiled again. Her face was fascinating when she smiled. There were two men in the room who would have vouched for that.
“There you are!” she exclaimed. “See what an embarrassing position you place me in. Mr. Malleson and Miss Chichester are positive that I should take the money, and Miss Tracy and Mr. Lamar are equally positive that I shouldn’t. Two and two. And you are all my friends. What am I to do?”
Up through Barry’s consciousness there struggled a gleam of light.
“I’ll tell you what to do, Mrs. Bradley,” he said, speaking with unusual rapidity; “hold the matter under advisement, a—hold the matter under advisement. For a fortnight say. Think it over carefully, and—as my friend Farrar would say—prayerfully, and I’ll see you about it later.”
Then Miss Chichester again had her innings.