arney Ryan's body.
Why, the men all got into the smoking-room, lit their cigars, and smoked
there, and in the ballroom were the girls sitting around the walls, and
not more than half a dozen partners for them. I tell you, Mr. Ryan was
mad. He just went up there, and told them to get up and dance or get up
and go home----he didn't much care which. There's no fooling with Mr.
Ryan when he's roused. You remember how mad popper was that night, Gen?"

Miss. Ryan nodded an assent, her eyes full of smiling reminiscence. She
had listened to her mother's story with unmoved attention and evident
appreciation. "Next time we have a party," she said, looking smilingly
at Faraday, "Mr. Faraday can come and see for himself."

"I guess it'll be a long time before we have another like that," said
Mrs. Ryan, somewhat grimly, rising as Faraday rose to take his leave.
"Not but what," she added, hastily, fearing her remark had seemed
ungracious, "we'll hope Mr. Faraday will come without waiting for
parties."

"But we've had one since then," said Miss. Ryan, as she placed her hand
in his in the pressure of farewell, "that laid all over that first one."

Having been pressed to call by both mother and daughter, and having told
himself that Genevieve Ryan was "an interesting study," Faraday, after
some hesitation, paid a second visit to the Ryan mansion. Upon this
occasion the Chinese servant, murmuring unintelligibly, showed a rooted
aversion to his entering. Faraday, greatly at sea, wondering vaguely if
the terrible Barney Ryan had issued a mandate to his hireling to refuse
him admittance, was about to turn and depart, when the voice of Mrs.
Ryan in the hall beyond arrested him. Bidden to open the door, the
Mongolian reluctantly did so and Faraday was admitted.

"Sing didn't want to let you in," said Mrs. Ryan when they had gained
the long gold drawing-room, "because Genevieve was out. He never lets
any gentlemen in when she's not at home. He thinks I'm too old to have
them come to see me."

Then they sat down, and after a little preliminary chat on the Chinese
character and the Californian climate, Mrs. Ryan launched forth into her
favorite theme of discourse.

"Genevieve will be so sorry to miss you," she said; "she's always so
taken by Eastern gentlemen. They admire her, too, immensely. I can't
tell you of the compliments we've heard directly and indirectly that
they've paid her. Of course I can see that she's an unusually
fine-loo