Charlie to run things in this house. D'you know what I mean? I
suppose it's the way he's made. He has been awfully kind, and helped a
lot in all sorts of ways, and I like him ever so much; but I was glad to
check him just a little, and put who I pleased over my own servants, and
then go on just as good friends with him as ever."

"Mrs. Hawthorne, why don't you make Mrs. Foss your adviser in all such
matters? She is so kind always and of such good counsel. It would be so
much the safest thing."

"Of course; but it was she who found Luigi for us, you see. She can't
always know. As far as Charlie Hunt is concerned, I don't want you to
think that we think any less of him than before. He's good and kind as
can be, and does ever so many nice things for us. We were at his
apartment the other day, where he had a tea-party expressly for us, with
his cousins there, and Mr. Landini and two or three others. And then
when he heard me say I like dogs he promised to give me a dog, one of
those lovely clown dogs,--poodles,--with their hair cut in a fancy
pattern, when he can lay his hand on a real beauty."

"Mrs. Hawthorne"--Gerald almost lifted himself off his seat with the
emphasis of his cry,--"Don't let him give you a dog!"

She looked at him in amazement.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Don't! don't! Can't you see that you must not let him give you a dog?"

"No, I can't. Why on earth?"

"After what you said a few minutes ago," he stammered, feeling blindly
for reasons, "which shows that you have something to complain of in his
conduct toward you, you ought not to allow him to give you a dog. A
dog--you don't understand, and I can't make you. It will be too awful!"

"You surely are the queerest man I have ever known," she said sincerely.

To which he did not reply.

He restrained himself from blurting out that Charlie Hunt, for such and
such reasons, could never deserve the extreme privilege of giving her a
dog. Leslie had once casually spoken the true word about Charlie.
"Charlie has no real inside," she had said, and continued, nevertheless,
to like him well enough. He was young, handsome, in his way attractive.
Most people liked him to just that extent--well enough; few went beyond,
unless early in the acquaintance. He so systematically did what would be
most useful to himself that it was difficult to preserve illusions about
his powers of devotion or unselfishness. He had lived as one of the
family with his aunt and cousin