"May I begin by assuming that you intend to marry Mr. Royson?" she
asked.
Irene laughed softly, and her glance wandered beyond the busy camp to
the distant hills.
"I have known more unlikely events to happen," she said.
"I thought so. I recognized the symptoms. Well, I want to make a sort
of bargain with you. If you help me, I can help you, and, to show that
I can give effect to my words, I shall tell you exactly what form my
help will take before I state the nature of the assistance I ask from
you, so that you may be at perfect liberty to give or withhold it as
you choose."
"This is a rather one-sided contract, is it not?" "No. I fancy it will
be equitable. I have not lived in close intimacy with you during so
many weeks without arriving at a fair estimate of your character. You
are one of the fortunate people, Irene, who find it more blessed to
give than to receive. At any rate I am satisfied to settle matters that
way. And to come to the point, while you may experience grave
difficulty in obtaining your grandfather's consent to your marriage
with a penniless young gentleman of striking physique but no
profession--Mr.
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