"By-the-way," said the doctor slowly, "has she ever met--Miss Redding?"
"No."
He meditated for several minutes in silence, while Juliet sewed, glancing
from time to time at one of the most attractive masculine profiles with
which she was familiar. He was not as handsome a man as Louis Lockwood,
but every line of his face stood for strength, not without some
pretensions to good looks. He looked up at length and straight at her.
"Would you mind telling me," he began, "just what you intend to effect
with this combination? I never gave you credit, you know, Juliet, for
wanting to manage Fate, and I don't believe it now."
"No, I don't want to manage Fate," said Juliet, smiling over her work,
"but I admit I want two things: I want you to see Rachel Redding beside
Suzanne Gerard, and--I want Rachel to see you beside Louis Lockwood
and--Suzanne."
"I see," said the doctor grimly. "In other words, you want your protegee
to have fair play."
"Just that," Juliet answered, more gravely now. "I think lots of you,
Roger, and well of you--you know I do--and yet----"
"And yet----"
"Let me guard my girl. She's not like the others, and you and Louis are
making it tremendously hard for her between you."
"You seem to be planning to make it infinitely harder."