"Good for you, boy! And you wish me joy?"

"I can't; I'm a woman-hater now myself."

"Wish me as much joy as possible under the circ.u.mstances."

"I'll do that; but don't expect me to throw a fit in doing it."

"All right," Huntington patted him affectionately on the shoulder. "Now run and get ready for dinner, and don't forget that I'm keeping Merry in the family!"

"Oh! come. Don't rub it in!"

"I won't, but I'm so happy that I'm kiddish!"

"Many a married man seems contented when he's only resigned," quoted Billy maliciously.

"Get out!" Huntington shouted, throwing a chair-pillow at the retreating figure.

It was at dinner that the party rea.s.sembled, this time in its full strength of numbers. The table was set in the Italian dining-porch, which occupied the east gable, and by reason of its uniqueness formed a charming background for the ceremony. Three of its sides were open, the over-story being supported on columns; the plaster wall was covered with ma.s.ses of flowering and decorative plants, clinging to a lattice, and broken in the center by a niche enclosing an old marble fountain. Edith and Cosden greeted Huntington cordially when he came down, plying him with questions until he begged for mercy.

"You don't show any ill effects from acting as trained nurse," Cosden remarked; "in fact I never saw you look so well. Glad you came in time for this farewell dinner; I'm back into the harness again to-morrow."

"I wish you could stay longer, Mr. Cosden," Marian urged.

"I'm ashamed of the length of time I have already imposed upon your hospitality," Cosden replied; "but you must hold Edith responsible. It takes her an eternity to get a little word of three letters out of her mouth."

"That isn't a commodity which requires advertising," she remarked, tossing her head.

"I'll get you yet, you little devil!" whispered Cosden.

"This dinner is epoch-making," Thatcher said seriously after they were seated, "and the epochs divide themselves into two parts. The first one I'm going to explain; then, as it is proper that my wife should have the last word, Marian will tell you the second. We have with us this evening--that's the way the toastmaster usually starts in, isn't it?--a man whom I have known for several years, whose integrity is unquestioned, but who has been considered by his business a.s.sociates as one who exacted his last pound of flesh."

Cosden looked quickly at Thatcher, and reddened at the pointed glance which Edith gave him.

"A few days ago," Thatcher continued, "owing to extraordinary business conditions, that man found the one house which he would like best to control in a position where he could legitimately force it to accept his own terms. I know, because that house was mine."

"Cut it out, Thatcher," Cosden growled; "this isn't an experience meeting."

Thatcher paid no attention to him. "At this crisis, I went down on my knees, and begged him a favor to accept a little trifle of four and a half millions profit in exchange for saving my house and reputation."

"Harry!" Marian cried. "I've been blind to your troubles too!"

"This was his chance. He remarked coolly that he had been making plans to take advantage of his opportunity when it came, handed me drafts which enabled me to weather the storm, and refused to accept one penny of the blood-money which I was only too ready to give him. That is the way our friend Cosden collects his pound of flesh."

"Connie did that?" Huntington demanded, gratified beyond measure but speaking lightly to cover Cosden's embarra.s.sment. "Why, Connie,--I thought you were a business man!"

Edith made no comment but her gaze never left Cosden's face. His confusion was genuine, for to be made a hero in the midst of one's friends is more than any man can stand. Marian hastened to his rescue.

"I shall tell Mr. Cosden what I think of him when we are alone," she said gratefully. "Now let us turn from the worship of Midas to that of a coy little divinity who may yet teach Edith to speak in words of one syllable. Harry says that I am to have the last word. It shall be brief: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Thatcher announce the engagement of their only daughter to--Mr. William Montgomery Huntington."

The effect of this announcement was even more dramatic than the first.

"You sly old dog!" Cosden cried, reaching over and pummeling Huntington on the back.

"Great work!" was Philip's congratulation, but he subsided when he saw the expression on Billy's face.

It was epoch-making, as Thatcher had promised. The relief over the happy solution of the business crisis, and the surprise and joy of the announced engagement made the dinner pa.s.s from an episode into an event.

Billy's lack of enthusiasm might be easily understood and as easily forgiven, but Edith's subdued att.i.tude was less comprehensible. It was only as they left the table to go out upon the piazza that she broke her silence. She held back after Marian and Merry pa.s.sed through the door and turned to Cosden.

"Did you really do that?" she demanded.

He nodded his head sheepishly. "You see, as Monty says, I'm no kind of business man after all."

"I think you're the greatest business genius in the world!"

"You do!" he cried. "Then why don't you follow Merry's example?"

"I might," she said smiling.

x.x.xIX

Huntington dared not extend his visit beyond a few blissful days, but into these he crowded the full expression of his long-delayed romance.

The wonder of it never left him, the joy of it filled him with quiet content.

The lovers watched Cosden's departure next morning, and by virtue of the priority of their engagement, considered themselves ent.i.tled to tease Edith who was not to leave until the following day.

"Well," Huntington remarked, as they turned back into the hallway, "as Connie says, he usually gets what he goes after."

"Don't you think he's earned me?" Edith retaliated.

"And you him," Huntington retorted. "Everything is as it should be. You are just the girl for him, and he will make you a husband in a thousand.

I need not tell you how cordially I have congratulated him."

"I don't think our Society proved very effective," she remarked dryly.

"On the contrary, it demonstrated its efficiency by the present most satisfactory exceptions.--But you are giving me a great many mysteries to explain to Merry!"

The evening before Huntington felt it necessary to return to his patient he touched upon a subject which had been avoided.

"Mamma," he said to Mrs. Thatcher, "I think--"