’Why, yes, I did.  Why shouldn’t I?  I guess it wasn’t very well done, though, and I was a fool to try and take her hand after she’d said no.’

‘Oh, you tried to take her hand?’

’Yes, and the next thing I knew she’d rushed out of the room and bolted the door, as if I was a dangerous lunatic and she’d just found it out.  That’s what happened—­just that.  It wasn’t my fault if I was in earnest, I suppose.’

‘And just after that you were engaged to poor Miss Bamberger,’ said Lady Maud in a tone of reflection.

‘Yes,’ answered Mr. Van Torp slowly.  ’Nothing mattered much just then, and the engagement was the business side.  I told you about all that in Hare Court.’

’You’re a singular mixture of several people all in one!  I shall never quite understand you.’

’Maybe not.  But if you don’t, nobody else is likely to, and I mean to be frank to you every time.  I suppose you think I’m heartless.  Perhaps I am.  I don’t know.  You have to know about the business side sometimes; I wish you didn’t, for it’s not the side of myself I like best.’

The aggressive blue eyes softened a little as he spoke, and there was a touch of deep regret in his harsh voice.

‘No,’ answered Lady Maud, ’I don’t like it either.  But you are not heartless.  Don’t say that of yourself, please—­please don’t!  You cannot fancy how it would hurt me to think that your helping me was only a rich man’s caprice, that because a few thousand pounds are nothing to you it amused you to throw the money away on me and my ideas, and that you would just as soon put it on a horse, or play with it at Monte Carlo!’

‘Well, you needn’t worry,’ observed Mr. Van Torp, smiling in a reassuring way.  ’I’m not given to throwing away money.  In fact, the other people think I’m too much inclined to take it.  And why shouldn’t I?  People who don’t know how to take care of money shouldn’t have it.  They do harm with it.  It is right to take it from them since they can’t keep it and haven’t the sense to spend it properly.  However, that’s the business side of me, and we won’t talk about it, unless you like.’

‘I don’t “like"!’ Lady Maud smiled too.

’Precisely.  You’re not the business side, and you can have anything you like to ask for.  Anything I’ve got, I mean.’

The beautiful hands were packing the tea-things.

‘Anything in reason,’ suggested Lady Maud, looking into the shabby basket.

‘I’m not talking about reason,’ answered Mr. Van Torp, gouging his waistcoat pockets with his thick thumbs, and looking at the top of her old grey felt hat as she bent her head.  ’I don’t suppose I’ve done much good in my life, but maybe you’ll do some for me, because you understand those things and I don’t.  Anyhow, you mean to, and I want you to, and that constitutes intention in both parties, which is the main thing in law.  If it happens to give you pleasure, so much the better.  That’s why I say you can have anything you like.  It’s an unlimited order.’