“Unless I can marry the Professor at once, I don’t know what will happen to me,” she mused gloomily.  “I have managed very well so far, but things are coming to a crisis.  These devils,” she alluded to her creditors, “will not keep off much longer, and then the crash will come.  I shall have to leave Gartley as poor as when I came, and there will be nothing left but the old nightmare life of despair and horror.  I am getting older every day, and this is my last chance of getting married.  I must force the Professor to have a speedy marriage.  I must!  I must!” and she began to pace the tiny room in a frenzy of terror and well-founded alarm.

As she was trying to calm herself and succeeding very badly, Jane entered the room with a card.  It proved to be that of Sir Frank Random.

“It is rather a late hour for a visit,” said Mrs. Jasher to the servant.  “However, I feel so bored, that perhaps he will cheer me up.  Ask him to come in.”

When Jane left, she stood still for a moment or so, trying to think why the young man had called at so untoward an hour.  But when his footsteps were heard approaching the door, she swept the books and the bills and the letters into the desk and locked it quickly.  When Random appeared at the door, she was just leaving the desk to greet him, and no one would have taken the smiling, plump, well-preserved woman for the creature who lately had looked so haggard and careworn.

“I am glad to see you, Sir Frank,” said Mrs. Jasher, nodding in a familiar manner.  “Sit down in this very comfortable chair, and Jane shall bring you some coffee and kummel.”

“No, thank you,” said Random in his usual stiff way, but very politely.  “I have just left the mess, where I had a good dinner.”

Mrs. Jasher nodded, and sank again on the couch, which was opposite the chair which she had selected for her visitor.

“I see you are in mess kit,” she said gayly; “quite a glorified creature to appear in my poor little parlor.  Why are you not with Donna Inez?  I have heard all about your engagement from Lucy.  She was here to-day with Senorita De Gayangos.”

“So I believe,” said Random, still stiffly; “but you see I was anxious to come and see you.”

“Ah!” said Mrs. Jasher equably, “you heard that I was ill.  Yes; I have been in bed ever since yesterday afternoon, until a couple of hours ago.  But I am now better.  My dinner has done me good.  Pass me that fan, please.  The fire is so hot.”

Sir Frank did as he was told, and she held the feather fan between her face and the fire, while he stared at her, wondering what to say.

“Don’t you find this atmosphere very stuffy?” he remarked at length.  “It would be a good thing to have the windows open.”

Mrs. Jasher shrieked.

“My dear boy, are you mad?  I have a touch of the influenza, and an open window would bring about my death.  Why, this room is delightfully comfortable.”