“Really, Charles,” said Mrs. Pierce, in the privacy of their own room, “I think it ought to be stopped.”

“Exactly, my dear,” replied her other half, with an apparent yielding to her views that amazed and rather frightened Mrs. Pierce, till he continued:  “Beyond question it should be stopped, since you say so. It is neuter, and as neutral things are highly objectionable, stop it by all means.”

“I mean Mr. Stirling—­” began Mrs. Pierce.

“Yes?” interrupted Mr. Pierce, in an encouraging, inquiring tone.  “Peter is certainly neuter.  I think one might say negative, without gross exaggeration.  Still, I should hardly stop him.  He finds enough difficulty in getting out an occasional remark without putting a stopper in him.  Perhaps, though, I mistake your meaning, and you want Peter merely to stop here a little longer.”

“I mean, dear,” replied Mrs. Pierce, with something like a tear in her voice, for she was sadly wanting in a sense of humor, and her husband’s jokes always half frightened her, and invariably made her feel inferior to him, “I mean his spending so much time with Helen.  I’m afraid he’ll fall in love with her.”

“My dear,” said Mr. Pierce, “you really should be a professional mind-reader.  Your suggestion comes as an awful revelation to me.  Just supposing he should—­aye—­just supposing he has, fallen in love with Helen!”

“I really think he has,” said Mrs. Pierce, “though he is so different from most men, that I am not sure.”

“Then by all means we must stop him.  By the way, how does one stop a man’s falling in love?” asked Mr. Pierce.

“Charles!” said Mrs. Pierce.

This remark of Mrs. Pierce’s generally meant a resort to a handkerchief, and Mr. Pierce did not care for any increase of atmospheric humidity just then.  He therefore concluded that since his wit was taken seriously, he would try a bit of seriousness, as an antidote.

“I don’t think there is any occasion to interfere.  Whatever Peter does can make no difference, for it is perfectly evident that Helen is nice to him as a sort of duty, and, I rather suspect, to please Watts.  So anything she may do will be a favor to him, while the fact that she is attractive to Peter will not lessen her value to—­others.”

“Then you don’t think—?” asked Mrs. Pierce, and paused there.

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” laughed Mr. Pierce.  “I do think.  I think things can’t be going better.  I was a little afraid of Mr. Pawling, and should have preferred to have him and his sisters later, but since it is policy to invite them and they could not come at any other time, it was a godsend to have sensible, dull old Peter to keep her busy.  If he had been in the least dangerous, I should not have interfered, but I should have made him very ridiculous.  That’s the way for parents to treat an ineligible man.  Next week, when all are gone but Watts, he will have his time, and shine the more by contrast with what she has had this week.”