“She’s very anxious to have you two come along, if your father don’t mind,” volunteered the mother, “and I should think ye’d have a fine time.  They’re going to Paris and the Riveera.”

“Oh, fine!” exclaimed Norah.  “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris.  Haven’t you, Ai?  Oh, wouldn’t that be fine?”

“I don’t know that I want to go,” replied Aileen.  She did not care to compromise herself by showing any interest at the start.  “It’s coming on winter, and I haven’t any clothes.  I’d rather wait and go some other time.”

“Oh, Aileen Butler!” exclaimed Norah.  “How you talk!  I’ve heard you say a dozen times you’d like to go abroad some winter.  Now when the chance comes—­besides you can get your clothes made over there.”

“Couldn’t you get somethin’ over there?” inquired Mrs. Butler.  “Besides, you’ve got two or three weeks here yet.”

“They wouldn’t want a man around as a sort of guide and adviser, would they, mother?” put in Callum.

“I might offer my services in that capacity myself,” observed Owen, reservedly.

“I’m sure I don’t know,” returned Mrs. Butler, smiling, and at the same time chewing a lusty mouthful.  “You’ll have to ast ’em, my sons.”

Aileen still persisted.  She did not want to go.  It was too sudden.  It was this.  It was that.  Just then old Butler came in and took his seat at the head of the table.  Knowing all about it, he was most anxious to appear not to.

“You wouldn’t object, Edward, would you?” queried his wife, explaining the proposition in general.

“Object!” he echoed, with a well simulated but rough attempt at gayety.  “A fine thing I’d be doing for meself—­objectin’.  I’d be glad if I could get shut of the whole pack of ye for a time.”

“What talk ye have!” said his wife.  “A fine mess you’d make of it livin’ alone.”

“I’d not be alone, belave me,” replied Butler.  “There’s many a place I’d be welcome in this town—­no thanks to ye.”

“And there’s many a place ye wouldn’t have been if it hadn’t been for me.  I’m tellin’ ye that,” retorted Mrs. Butler, genially.

“And that’s not stretchin’ the troot much, aither,” he answered, fondly.

Aileen was adamant.  No amount of argument both on the part of Norah and her mother had any effect whatever.  Butler witnessed the failure of his plan with considerable dissatisfaction, but he was not through.  When he was finally convinced that there was no hope of persuading her to accept the Mollenhauer proposition, he decided, after a while, to employ a detective.