“And then what?”
“To put my money into the paper and keep you from selling it, of course.’
“But if I would n’t have taken it? And I would n’t, you know.”
“That would not have made the slightest difference,” she said calmly. “You could not have sold the paper, in any case, if you had married me when—when I proposed to you.”
“Could n’t I! I’d have had to, if matters had gone on as they were going.”
“No. For you could not have sold the paper without the plant, and the plant being real estate, could not be transferred without the wife’s consent.”
“So it couldn’t! You wretched little plotter! Who put you up to that?”
“I consulted a lawyer,” she replied demurely. “On a hypothetical case.”
“I’m jealous,” declared Jem. “You were trying to marry me for my property and not for my winning self. Was that the only reason?”
Her face changed adorably as she bent over him. “What do you think?” she said.