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.He's done the town a lot of good.""He's a good man," Carole said earnestly."Sometimes I'm afraid people takeadvantage of him.He worked hard for what he's got, and now he gives it awayright and left.You don't even know a fraction of the things he does thecharities.But I hate that word.It sounds so condescending.""Well, there are worse ways for a man to get his kicks," said the Saint."AndPage 43 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfrom the looks of that solid-silver dress of yours, he's at least keepingenough cash round to pay the light bills.""It's rude to comment on the price of things," Carole re-marked."Whoever said I wasn't rude?" Simon retorted.Once they had met, there was no question of their parting.Simon could seethat behind her bantering façade, she really had developed an instant crush onhim; and he would have been less than human if he had not responded to herdew-fresh beauty and youthful exuberance.They spent the evening happilyto-gether.Carole turned down several requests to dance with other men.It wasonly "when the ball had rolled beyond its midnight peak that she and Simonwere surrounded by half a dozen of her friends insisting that they all go offtogether to a livelier spot.Simon left it up to Carole, who had no particularfondness for the overpowering elegance of the ballroom."Go ahead, and we'll meet you there," she told the other couples."I want totell Daddy good night and introduce him to Simon."He was mildly surprised when, at the elevators, she pressed an up button."We live here," she explained."In the penthouse apartment.Daddy glommed onto it when the hotel was being built.""I've always wanted to see how the under-privileged people make out," hemurmured."Where are you staying?""Here, too, as a matter of fact.But not in quite such grandeur.I took a roomhere because the ball was here and it seemed to save a lot of running about,and because they have a garage in the basement.""So you don't mind a few modern comforts either."She found her father in a book-lined library off the formal drawing room,sitting in leather-upholstered comfort with three guests of about his own ageand a considerably younger fourth a tall hunched man with long arms and awatchful pair of ball-bearing eyes deeply imbedded under dark bushy browsstanding behind him.Bodyguard? Simon immediately asked himself, for thestanding man's face would have seemed more at home on a post-office wall thanhere in the company of the thoroughbred rich."Daddy, this is Mr Templar.He's been taking beautiful care of your onlydaughter all evening, so I thought you'd like to ex-press your gratitude." Sheturned to Simon."Daddy's always petrified I'm going to fall in with evilcompanions, or be kid-napped or something."Angelworth put down his liqueur and rose from his green wing-backed chair toshake hands.He combined an air of com-mand with a natural modesty which madehim both impressive and likeable at first sight.He was in his late fifties,almost as tall as the Saint, with a carefully tended mane of white hair whichcontributed to making his head seem larger than the heads of the people aroundhim.His mouth was broad and strong, but softened into an almost benign smile."If you've been making my daughter's life happier I'm par-ticularly pleased tomeet you," he said."And I'm particularly pleased to meet the father of the young lady who's givenme such a delightful evening," Simon replied with equal graciousness.The names of the others, punctiliously introduced, would have needed noreferences from Dun & Bradstreet, with the exception of the craggy-browedfourth, whose name was Richard Hamlin and whose handshake and grunt were asshort on urbanity as his appearance."My secretary and aide-de-camp," Angelworth explained.Carole surveyed the other three suspiciously."You string-pullers aren't still trying to talk my father into running forgovernor, are you?"Hyram Angelworth sat down with a weary smile."I'm afraid that's what they've been trying to do," he said."Well, you just leave him alone," Carole said."He doesn't need all thosedirty politics, and he's doing plenty of good just as he is.""Can't promise you that," one of the men said."We need him.There aren't manyborn winners round these days."Page 44 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAngelworth raised a hand."Don't worry, dear," he said to Carole, "the answer will go right on being no.I'm better as a gadfly than a demagogue.""As long as that's understood," his daughter said with mock sharpness, "Simonand I can leave you to take care of yourself.The gang's going out for alittle hot jazz.I'll be home in a couple of hours
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