ing rose gallantly to take the dish from her hand, a slight
scuffle ensued which ended in the young man being forced down in his
chair by the pressure of Minty's strong plump hand on his shoulder.
"There," she said, "ye kin mind your dinner now, and I reckon we'll give
the others a chance to chip into the conversation," and at once applied
herself to the plate before her.

The conversation presently became general, with the exception that
Minty, more or less engrossed by professional anxiety in the quality
of the dinner and occasional hurried visits to the kitchen, briefly
answered the few polite remarks which Mainwaring felt called upon to
address to her. Nevertheless, he was conscious, malgre her rallying
allusions to Miss Macy, that he felt none of the vague yet half pleasant
anxiety with which Louise was beginning to inspire him. He felt at
ease in Minty's presence, and believed, rightly or wrongly, that she
understood him as well as he understood her. And there were certainly
points in common between his two hostesses and their humbler though
proud dependent. The social evolution of Mrs. Bradley and Louise
Macy from some previous Minty was neither remote nor complete; the
self-sufficient independence, ease, and quiet self-assertion were alike
in each. The superior position was still too recent and accidental for
either to resent or criticise qualities that were common to both. At
least, this was what he thought when not abandoning himself to the
gratification of a convalescent appetite; to the presence of two pretty
women, the sympathy of a genial friend, the healthy intoxication of the
white sunlight that glanced upon the pine walls, the views that mirrored
themselves in the open windows, and the pure atmosphere in which The
Lookout seemed to swim. Wandering breezes of balm and spice lightly
stirred the flowers on the table, and seemed to fan his hair and
forehead with softly healing breath. Looking up in an interval of
silence, he caught Bradley's gray eyes fixed upon him with a subdued
light of amusement and affection, as of an elder brother regarding a
schoolboy's boisterous appetite at some feast. Mainwaring laid down
his knife and fork with a laughing color, touched equally by Bradley's
fraternal kindliness and the consciousness of his gastronomical powers.

"Hang it, Bradley; look here! I know my appetite's disgraceful, but what
can a fellow do? In such air, with such viands and such company! It's
like the