He wondered if he could work Stephen for a loan.

He walked on through the woodland path, his pace slower than before.
'How pretty she had looked!' Here he touched his little moustache.
'Gad! Stephen was a fine girl anyhow! If it wasn't for all that red
hair . . . I like 'em dark better! . . . And her being such an
infernal boss!'. . . Then he said unconsciously aloud:

'If I was her husband I'd keep her to rights!'

Poor Stephen!

'So that's what the governor meant by telling me that fortune was to
be had, and had easily, if a man wasn't a blind fool. The governor
is a starchy old party. He wouldn't speak out straight and say,
"Here's Stephen Norman, the richest girl you are ever likely to meet;
why don't you make up to her and marry her?" But that would be
encouraging his son to be a fortune-hunter! Rot! . . . And now, just
because she didn't tell me what she wanted to speak about, or the
governor didn't give me a hint so that I might be prepared, I have
gone and thrown away the chance. After all it mightn't be so bad.
Stephen is a fine girl! . . . But she mustn't ever look at me as she
did when I spoke about her not obeying. I mean to be master in my
own house anyhow!

'A man mustn't be tied down too tight, even if he is married. And if
there's plenty of loose cash about it isn't hard to cover up your
tracks . . . I think I'd better think this thing over calmly and be
ready when Stephen comes at me again. That's the way with women.
When a woman like Stephen fixes her cold grey on a man she does not