“H-m!” grunted Peter senior.  “The girl ain’t a coward, anyhow.  She stood up to me like a wildcat.  Said she hated me.  Said she wouldn’t take Peter if I paid her to—­or words to that effect.  Well, I didn’t exactly offer to pay her for doing that, rather the other way around.  But when she had the gorgeous cheek to up and say, after all, that she liked me for defending you, why, I—­well, I don’t know how it was, but all of a sudden I weakened to her.  She got me same way as she got you, Peter, I suppose.  Maybe it was with one of her laughs!  Anyhow—­look here, miss.  If you’ll take back your words, I’ll take back mine. Cut ’em right out.”

“Which words?” Win cautiously wanted to know.

“The whole lot, while we’re about it.  I guess a sister-in-law who’s got earls for cousins ought to be good enough for a marchesa. You’ve got me, I tell you!  And you can have Peter, too, if you want him.  Do you?”

“I do,” answered Win—­and laughed again, the happiest, most surprised, and excited laugh in the world.

“Then we’ve got each other—­forever!” cried Petro.  “And, Father, you and I will have each other, too, after this, as we never had before.  You shall bless this day as I do, and as mother will.”

“All right,” said old Peter.  “We’ll see about that.  Anyhow, shake hands.”

Petro shook.

“And you, too, girl.”

Winifred hesitated slightly, then held out her burned fingers.

Peter senior gave them deliberately to his son.

“There you are!” he exclaimed.  “Now we’re all three in the business.”

“And this is the way we’re going to run it in future,” said Petro.  “With love.”

THE END