The great one had stopped on the threshold.

“Madam,” he began, coldly, “when I say my library, I mean my—­”

“Oh yes,” she interrupted, with amiable weariness.  “I know.  You mean you keep all the papers and books of the estate in there, but I think we’d better put them off for a few days—­”

“I’m not talking about the estate!” he exclaimed.  “What I want to talk to you about is being seen with Joseph Louden!”

“Yes,” she nodded, brightly.  “That’s along the line we must take up first.”

“Yes, it is!” He hurled his bull-bass at her.  “You knew everything about him and his standing in this community!  I know you did, because Mrs. Pike told me you asked all about him from Mamie after you came last night, and, see here, don’t you—­”

“Oh, but I knew before that,” she laughed.  “I had a correspondent in Canaan, one who has always taken a great interest in Mr. Louden.  I asked Miss Pike only to get her own point of view.”

“I want to tell you, madam,” he shouted, coming toward her, “that no member of my household—­”

“That’s another point we must take up to-day.  I’m glad you remind me of it,” she said, thoughtfully, yet with so magically compelling an intonation that he stopped his shouting in the middle of a word; stopped with an apoplectic splutter.  “We must arrange to put the old house in order at once.”

“We’ll arrange nothing of the sort,” he responded, after a moment of angry silence.  “You’re going to stay right here.”

“Ah, I know your hospitality,” she bowed, graciously.  “But of course I must not tax it too far.  And about Mr. Louden?  As I said, I want to speak to you about him.”

“Yes,” he intervened, harshly.  “So do I, and I’m going to do it quick!  You’ll find—­”

Again she mysteriously baffled him.  “He’s a dear old friend of mine, you know, and I have made up my mind that we both need his help, you and I.”

“What!”

“Yes,” she continued, calmly, “in a business way I mean.  I know you have great interests in a hundred directions, all more important than mine; it isn’t fair that you should bear the whole burden of my affairs, and I think it will be best to retain Mr. Louden as my man of business.  He could take all the cares of the estate off your shoulders.”

Martin Pike spoke no word, but he looked at her strangely; and she watched him with sudden keenness, leaning forward in her chair, her gaze alert but quiet, fixed on the dilating pupils of his eyes.  He seemed to become dizzy, and the choleric scarlet which had overspread his broad face and big neck faded splotchily.

Still keeping her eyes upon him, she went on:  “I haven’t asked him yet, and so I don’t know whether or not he’ll consent, but I think it possible that he may come to see me this afternoon, and if he does we can propose it to him together and go over things a little.”