"Of course I will help you," she answered briskly. "Tell me all about it."
"Have you still that five thousand pounds Cousin Andrew left you?"
"Why of course I have,—and it's rather more now, for luckily we didn't put it into Consols; we put it into a Canadian security."
"Is it invested in Dick's name?"
Dick's wife laughed. "No, of course it isn't," she said. "Why should it be?"
"Could you get at it without Dick's knowing?"
"Yes, I suppose I could." There was a touch of wonder in her voice.
"Fanny, I want you to lend me four thousand pounds." Oliver spoke huskily. He was staring out of the window.
His sister looked at him rather queerly for a moment: "Yes, of course I will," she said. And, as he turned to her, his face working,—"You needn't make a fuss about it, dear old boy. You'll pay me back all right, I know that."
"I'll insure against it, and I'll pay you proper interest for it—whatever you're getting now," he said. "And we'll get a lawyer to see that it's all made safe."