“Tell me about your relations with your mother when she was living.”

“She has been dead four years.”  Jerrold spoke with some emotion.  “We were great chums, though her health was always poor.  I wrote her three times a week when I was away from home, and she wrote me a note every day.  When I was in school, I spent all my vacations at home to be with her.  And I never went abroad until after her death because she did not like the idea of my going so far from her.”

“Jerrold, my boy, I do not want to seem too severe, but—­tell me, has there been anything in your life, about women, that could come out and hurt Prudence later on?”

Jerrold hesitated.  “Mr. Starr, I have been young, and headstrong, and impulsive.  I have done some things I wish now I hadn’t.  But I believe there is nothing that I could not explain to Prudence so she would understand.  If I had thought beforehand of a girl like her, there are things I would not have done.  But there is nothing, I think, that would really hurt, after I had a chance to talk it over with her.”

“All right.  If you are the man, God bless you.  I don’t suppose you are worthy of Prudence, for she is a good, pure-hearted, unselfish girl,—­there could be none better.  But the real point is just whether you will love each other enough!—­I like your coming up here like this.  I think that was very decent and manly of you.  And, do you mind if I just suggest that you go a little slow with Prudence?  Remember that she has been sound asleep, until this morning.  I do not want her awakened too rudely.”

“Neither do I,” said Jerrold quickly.  “Shall I go down now?  The girls have invited me to stay for supper, and Prudence says I am to come back to-morrow, too.  Is that all right?  Remember, I’ll be going home on Monday!”

“It is all right, certainly.  Spend as much time here as you like.  You will either get worse, or get cured, and—­whichever it is, you’ve got to have a chance.  I like you, Jerrold.  Prudence judges by instinct, but it does not often fail her.”

Prudence heard him running down the stairs boyishly, and when he came in, before she could speak, he whispered, “Shut your eyes tight, Prudence.  And do not scold me, for I can’t help it.”  Then he put his hands over hers, and kissed her on the lips.  They were both breathless after that.  Prudence lifted her lashes slowly, and gazed at him seriously.  It was she who spoke first.

“I was never really kissed before,” she whispered, “not really.”

Then they sat in silence until Fairy announced that supper was ready.  “But I won’t promise it is eatable,” she assured them, laughing.

“I wish I could go to the table, too,” said Prudence, looking at her father wistfully, “I could lie on the old lounge out there.”

“And have your supper on a tray, of course.  Can you carry her, father?”

“I can!” volunteered Jerrold promptly.  “I have done it.”