This time she stopped him by pushing him away more firmly.

'Abel, what do you think you are doing? Because you give me the occasional meal and take me to a concert, doesn't mean you have the right to maul me!

'But we've been going out together for months,' said Abel. 'I didn't think you would mind.'

'We have not been going out together for months, Abel. I cat with you occasionally in my father's dining room, but you should not construe th~t to mean we have been going out together for months!

'I'm sorry,' said Abel. 'The last thing I wanted you to think was that I was mauling you. I only wanted to touch you.'

'I would never a - Row a man to touch me,' she said, 'unless I was going to marry him!

'But I want to marry you,'said Abel quietly.

Melanie burst out laughing.

'What's so funny about that?' Abel asked, reddening.

'Don't be silly, Abel, I could never marry you.'

'Why not?' demanded Abel, shocked by the vehemence in her voice.

'It would never do for a Southern lady to marry a first generation Polish immigrant,' she replied, sitting up very straight and pushing her silk dress back into place.

'But I am a Baron,'sald Abel, a little haughtily.

Melanie burst out laughing again. 'You don't think anybody believes that, do you Abel? Don't you realise the whole staff laughs behind your back whenever you mention your title ?, He was stunned, and felt sick, his face draining of its red embarrassment. 'They all laugh at me behind my back?' His slight accent sounded more pronounced.

'Yes,' she said. 'Surely you know what your nickname in the hotel is? The Chicago Baron!

Abel was speechless.

'Now don't be silly and get all self - conscious about it, I think you've done a wonderful job for Daddy, and I know he admires you, but I could never marry you.'

Abel sat quietly. 'I could never marry you,' he repeated.

'Of course not. Daddy likes you, but he would never agree to having you as a son - in - law.'

'I'm sorry to have offended you,' said Abel.

'You haven't, Abel. I'm flattered. Now let's forget you ever mentioned the subject. Perhaps you would be kind enough to take me home?'

She rose and strode towards the door, while Abel remained seated, still stunned. Somehow he managed to push himself up slowly and help Melanie on with her cloak. He became conscious of his limp as they walked along the corridor together. They went down in the lift and he took her home in a cab: neither spoke. While the taxi waited, he accompanied her to the front gate of her dormitory. He kissed her hand.

'I do hope this doesn't mean we can't still be friends,' said Melanie.

'Of course not!

'Thank you for taking me to the concert, Abel. I'm sure you'll have no trouble in finding a nice Polish girl to marry you. Good night.'

'Goodbye,'said Abel.

Abel did not think there would be any real trouble on the New York Stock market until one of his guests asked if he might settle his hotel bill with stock. Abel held only a small amount of stock himself since nearly all his money was tied up in the Richmond Group, but he took his broker's advice and sold off his remaining shares - at a small loss, relieved that the bulk of his savings was secure in bricks and mortar. He had not taken as close an interest in the day - to - day movement of the Dow - Jones as he would have if all his capital had still been in the market.

The hotel did well in the first part of the year, and Abel considered he was set fair to achieve his profit forecast of over twenty - five thousand dollars for 1929, and kept Davis Leroy in constant touch with the way things were turning out. But when the crash came in October the hotel was half empty. Abel placed a call through to Davis Leroy on Black Tuesday. The Texan sounded depressed and preoccupied and would not be drawn into making decisions about the laying off of hotel staff which Abel now considered urgent. '

'Stick with it, Abel,' he said. 'I'll come up next week and we'll sort it out together then - or we'll try to.'

Abel did not like the ring of the last phrase. 'Whaes the problem, Davis? Is it anything I can help with?'

'Not for the time being!

Abel remained puzzled. 'Why don't you just give me the authority to get on with it, and I can brief you when you come tip next week?'

'It's not quite as easy as that, Abel. I didn't want to discuss my problems over the phone, but the bank is giving me a little trouble over my losses in the stock market, and they are threatening to make me sell the hotels if I can't raise enough money to cover my debts.'