“No! upon my word and honor, no!  I mean precisely what I say.”

“And supposing I say yes—­supposing I agree to go with you, for the fun of the thing, what do you mean to do with me, Mr. Walraven?”

“To treat you as I would a Miss Walraven of seventeen years old, if there were such a person; to fill your pockets with money, and your wardrobe with fine clothes; to give you a horse to ride, and a piano to play, a carriage to drive in, and a waiting-maid to scold.  What more can I do?  I will give you masters to teach you everything under the sun.  Balls, parties, and the opera at will—­everything, in short, your heart can desire.”

The starry eyes sparkled, the rose-tinted cheeks flushed with delight.

“I can not believe it; it is too good to be true.  Oh, you can’t mean it, Mr. Walraven.  No one ever had their wildest flight of fancy realized in this manner.”

“You shall if you will become my daughter.  If my promise proves false, are you not free to return?  There are no ogres nowadays to carry young ladies off to enchanted palaces and eat them.  Come with me to my home in New York.  If I fail in aught I have promised, why, return here.”

Mollie brought her two little palms together with an enthusiastic slap.

“I’ll do it, Mr. Walraven!  I know it’s all a dream and an illusion, but still I’ll see the dream to the end; that is, if you can make it all right with Mr. Harkner, the manager.”

“I can make it all right!” exclaimed Mr. Walraven.  “Money can do anything under the sun.  He has his price, like other men, and I can pay it.  If Mr. Harkner and I come to terms, will you be ready to start with me to-morrow, Mollie?”

“Quite ready.  But you won’t make it right.  He will never let me go; you will see.”

“I am not afraid.  I will call upon him at once, and after the interview I will let you know the result.  He is in the house now, is he not?”

“Down at the bar, very likely.  I will wait for you here.”

Mr. Walraven took his hat and left, delighted with his success.

The manager was at the bar, as Miss Dane had predicted, and eyed Mr. Walraven suspiciously from head to foot when he found his business concerned his star actress.

He was accustomed to gentlemen falling in love with her, and quite willing to take little bribes from them; but he stared in angry amazement when he heard what Carl Walraven had to say.

“Carry off Mollie!” exclaimed Mr. Harkner, “and adopt her as your daughter!  What do you take me for, to believe such a story as that?”

Mr. Harkner was pretty far gone, and all the more inclined to be skeptical.  Mr. Walraven saw it, and knew that appearances were dead against him, and so swallowed his wrath.

“It is the truth, upon my honor.  Miss Dane believes me and has consented.  Nothing remains but to settle matters with you.”

“I won’t settle matters!  I won’t hear of it!  I won’t part with my best actress!”