But he scouted this, and then, as she returned to the subject again, interrupted her, drawing some papers from his pocket.

“Oh, by the way,” he said, “here are the sketch plans for the alterations of the house at Geneva. The contractor brought them to the office today. He’s made that change about the dining-room.”

“Oh,” exclaimed Laura, interested at once, “you mean about building on the conservatory?”

“Hum⁠—no,” answered Jadwin a little slowly. “You see, Laura, the difficulty is in getting the thing done this summer. When we go up there we want everything finished, don’t we? We don’t want a lot of workmen clattering around. I thought maybe we could wait about that conservatory till next year, if you didn’t mind.”

Laura acquiesced readily enough, but Jadwin could see that she was a little disappointed. Thoughtful, he tugged his mustache in silence for a moment. Perhaps, after all, it could be arranged. Then an idea presented itself to him. Smiling a little awkwardly, he said: