"
"But you see--perhaps I ought to have told you before--that is, there may
be"--Marian was stammering and blushing.
"What's the matter? Don't frighten me by looking so--so criminal," Howard
laughed.
It was late in August. Marian was visiting Mrs. Brandon at
Irvington-on-the-Hudson and she and Howard were driving.
"I never told you. But the fact is"--she hesitated again.
"Is it about your other engagement? You never told me about that--how you
broke it off. I don't want you to tell me unless you wish to. You know I
never meddle in past matters. I'm simply trying to help you out."
"Instead, you're making it worse. I'd rather not tell you that if----"
"We'll never speak of it again. And now, what is it that is troubling you?"
"I have been trying to tell you--I wish you wouldn't look at me--I've got a
small income--it's really very small."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"I was afraid you wouldn't like it. It isn't very big--only about eight
thousand a year--some years not so much. But then, if anything happened--we
could be--we could live."
Howard smiled as he looked at her--but not with his eyes.
"I'm glad," he said. "It makes me feel safer in several ways. And I'm
especially glad that it is not larger than mine. I know it's stupid, as so
many of our instincts are; but I should not like to marry a woman who had a
larger income than I could earn.
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