What did you do
for a living on your side?"
"I hadn't begun to do anything till I engaged with Nadine--the
dressmaker, you know--to be one of her models on board the _Monarchic_
so as to get my passage free. I thought I should be sure to make a
fortune in New York."
"Yes, I guess that was your point of view. You're frank about it,
ain't you?"
"One may be about a lost illusion."
"There's more than one way for a girl to make a fortune. Maybe you and
I can do business. So you were one of those models when you first met
my son?"
Win would not have been flesh and blood if that shot had not told,
especially after the old man's funny catechizing had lured her
amusingly away from suspicion. She quivered, and a bright colour
stained her cheeks. Nevertheless those peering eyes found no guilt in
her look.
"Yes," she answered bravely. "He bought a dress from us for his
sister."
"One excuse is as good as another for a young fellow. What else did he
do?"
"Gave us patent medicine. We were all dreadfully seasick."
"You don't mean to tell me he fell in love with you when you were
seasick?"
"I don't mean to tell you that he fell in love with me at all, Mr.
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