“The other⁠—” He beat his foot on the floor in a nervous tattoo. “I won’t consider the other, Adèle, till I have tried all other means. That will have to be the last thing. If I can induce her to marry me she cannot, even if she would, give evidence against us. As for falling in love with her”⁠—he made a quick gesture of scorn⁠—“that is the last thing on earth that I am likely to do. There has only been one woman with whom I have ever been in love. In any case this will be a marriage only in name.”

As he watched her he congratulated himself that he had struck the right note. Mrs. Gertstein sat with chin cupped in her hand thinking, or rather trying to think. It was a few moments before she spoke.

“Is Penelope willing to marry you?”

Larry smiled wrily. “I doubt it. But I think with a little persuasion you will be able to overcome her scruples. She will see that there is nothing else for it in time.”