answered, with a glance at his enamelled shoes, that he would be
delighted, and when her husband brought him up to her, Mrs. March said
she was always glad to meet the contributors to the magazine, and asked
him whether he knew Mr. Kendricks, who was her favorite. Without giving
him time to reply to a question that seemed to depress him, she said
that she had a son who must be nearly his own age, and whom his father
had left in charge of 'Every Other Week' for the few months they were
to be gone; that they had a daughter married and living in Chicago. She
made him sit down by her in March's chair, and before he left them March
heard him magnanimously asking whether Mr. Kendricks was going to do
something more for the magazine soon. He sauntered away and did not know
how quickly Burnamy left this question to say, with the laugh and blush
which became him in her eyes:

"Mrs. March, there is something I should like to tell you about, if you
will let me."

"Why, certainly, Mr. Burnamy," she began, but she saw that he did not
wish her to continue.

"Because," he went on, "it's a little matter that I shouldn't like to go
wrong in."

He told her of his having overheard what Miss Triscoe had said to her
father, and his belief that she was talking about the lower berth. He
said he would have wished to offer it, of course, but now he was afraid
they might think he had overheard them and felt obliged to do it.

"I see," said Mrs. March, and she added, thoughtfully, "She looks like
rather a proud girl."

"Yes," the young fellow sighed.

"She is very charming," she continued, thoughtfully, but not so
judicially.

"Well," Burnamy owned, "that is certainly one of the complications," and
they laughed together.

She stopped herself after saying, "I see what you mean," and suggested,
"I think I should be guided by circumstances. It needn't be done at
once, I suppose."

"Well," Burnamy began, and then he broke out, with a laugh of
embarrassment, "I've done it already."

"Oh! Then it wasn't my advice, exactly, that you wanted."

"No!"

"And how did he take it?"

"He said he should be glad to make the exchange if I really didn't
mind." Burnamy had risen restlessly, and she did not ask him to stay.
She merely said:

"Oh, well, I'm glad it turned out so nicely."

"I'm so glad you think it was the thing to do." He managed to laugh
again, but he could not hide from her that he was not feeling altogether
satisfied. "Would