"But still, confound him!" Huntington said to himself, "he came out of his chrysalis far enough to take notice!"
Then his thoughts jumped from Hamlen to Cosden. Connie was more alive than Hamlen could ever be expected to become, but the same arguments applied to him in greater or less degree. It was easy enough to understand what had attracted him, for Connie always instinctively sensed in anything the really vital assets. Now that Huntington was becoming better acquainted with Merry he resented more and more the idea of this coldly-calculated courtship, and he wondered why this characteristic of Cosden's had not more often offended him in the past.
From this point it was an easy shift to Billy,—dear, lovable, spoiled, heedless Billy! Of course he loved Merry, just as he had always loved every beautiful object he had ever seen; and, naturally enough, he wanted this beautiful object just as he had wanted hundreds of others during his brief but meteoric career. And still of course, he looked to his Uncle Monty to gratify his whim in this as in all other cases! It was going to the other extreme: Billy was as much too young and irresponsible as the others were too old and unsuitable. This much Huntington was able to settle definitely in his mind, and his arrival at a conclusion brought with it a sense of relief.
Huntington suddenly became aware that his introspection had occupied more time than courtesy permitted, but Merry, absorbed in her own thoughts, had not noticed his abstraction. He tried to relieve the tension.
"'Silence is golden, speech is silvern,'" he quoted. "What do you say to our adopting a silver standard?"
Merry's laugh showed that the interruption was welcome. "You always say the least expected thing, Mr. Huntington!" she exclaimed. "My mind was a thousand miles from here."
"A thousand miles," Huntington repeated reflectively. "I'm fairly good in geography, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you the direction before I locate the spot."
"Straight up," she responded, half entering into his mood, half returning to her serious vein,—"straight in that kingdom where desire to do the right and wise thing is not hampered by a lack of knowledge."
"You would like to help Hamlen?"
"Indeed I would!"