f coffee, the host bestirred himself to make known a
hospitable regret, "By George!" he said. "I meant to buy some cigars."
He addressed himself apologetically to the guest. "I don't know what I
was thinking about, to forget to bring some home with me. I don't use
'em myself--unless somebody hands me one, you might say. I've always
been a pipe-smoker, pure and simple, but I ought to remembered for kind
of an occasion like this."

"Not at all," Russell said. "I'm not smoking at all lately; but when I
do, I'm like you, and smoke a pipe."

Alice started, remembering what she had told him when he overtook her on
her way from the tobacconist's; but, after a moment, looking at him,
she decided that he must have forgotten it. If he had remembered, she
thought, he could not have helped glancing at her. On the contrary, he
seemed more at ease, just then, than he had since they sat down, for he
was favouring her father with a thoughtful attention as Adams responded
to the introduction of a man's topic into the conversation at last.
"Well, Mr. Russell, I guess you're right, at that. I don't say but what
cigars may be all right for a man that can afford 'em, if he likes 'em
better than a pipe, but you take a good old pipe now----"

He continued, and was getting well into the eulogium customarily
provoked by this theme, when there came an interruption: the door-bell
rang, and he paused inquiringly, rather surprised.

Mrs. Adams spoke to Gertrude in an undertone:

"Just say, 'Not at home.'"

"What?"

"If it's callers, just say we're not at home."

Gertrude spoke out freely: "You mean you astin' me to 'tend you' front
do' fer you?"

She seemed both incredulous and affronted, but Mrs. Adams persisted,
though somewhat apprehensively. "Yes. Hurry--uh--please. Just say we're
not at home if you please."

Again Gertrude obviously hesitated between compliance and revolt, and
again the meeker course fortunately prevailed with her. She gave Mrs.
Adams a stare, grimly derisive, then departed. When she came back she
said:

"He say he wait."

"But I told you to tell anybody we were not at home," Mrs Adams
returned. "Who is it?"

"Say he name Mr. Law."

"We don't know any Mr. Law."

"Yes'm; he know you. Say he anxious to speak Mr. Adams. Say he wait."

"Tell him Mr. Adams is engaged."

"Hold on a minute," Adams intervened. "Law? No. I don't know any Mr.
Law. You sure you got the name right?"

"Say he name Law," Gertrude re