m his
point of view." She laughed. "The man tried to be particularly
agreeable, I think."

"And succeeded in being the reverse," Gifford added. "I can quite
understand. Still, it might be worse."

"Oh, yes," she agreed in a tone which did nothing to abate his curiosity.

The luncheon bell rang out and they turned.

"I haven't thanked you for looking after our interests, Mr. Gifford," the
girl said.

"I have unfortunately been able to do nothing," he replied deprecatingly.

"But you have tried," she rejoined graciously, "and it is not your fault
if you have not succeeded. It is a comfort to think that we have a friend
at hand ready to help us if need be, and I am most grateful."

The unusual feeling in her tone thrilled him.

"I should love to do something worthy of your gratitude," he responded,
in a subdued tone.

"You take a lower view of your service than I do," she rejoined as they
reached the house, and no more could be said.

At luncheon the improvement which their host had mentioned in Henshaw's
attitude was strikingly apparent. His dogmatic self-assertiveness which
had before been found so irritating was laid aside; his manner was
subdued, his tone was sympathetic as he apologized for all the annoyance
to which his host and hostess were being put. Gifford, watching him
alertly, wondered at the change, and more particularly at its cause,
which set him speculating. What did it portend? It seemed as though the
complete alteration in the man's attitude and manner might indicate that
he had got the solution of the mystery, and no longer had that problem to
worry him. Certainly there was little to find fault with in him to-day.

One thing, however, Gifford did not like, and that was Henshaw's rather
obvious admiration for Edith Morriston. When they took their places at
table, she had motioned to Gifford to sit beside her, and from that
position it gradually forced itself upon his notice that Henshaw
scarcely took his eyes off his hostess, addressing most of his
conversation, and he was a fluent talker, to her. It was, of course,
scarcely to be wondered at that this handsome, capable girl should call
forth any man's admiration. Gifford himself was indeed beginning to fall
desperately in love with her, but this naturally made Henshaw's rather
obvious prepossession none the less disagreeable to him. This, then, he
reflected, was the explanation of what Miss Morriston had hinted at,
what she had described as