sed her she answered as if she had not been listening, and
he turned back to Lottie. After luncheon he walked with her, and their
acquaintance made such a swift advance that she was able to ask him if
he laughed that way with everybody.

He laughed, and then he begged her pardon if he had been rude.

"Well, I don't see what there is to laugh at so much. When you ask me
a thing I tell you just what I think, and it seems to set you off in a
perfect gale. Don't you expect people to say what they think?"

"I think it's beautiful," said the young man, going into the gale, "and
I've got to expecting it of you, at any rate. But--but it's always so
surprising! It isn't what you expect of people generally, is it?"

"I don't expect it of you," said Lottie.

"No?" asked Mr. Breckon, in another gale. "Am I so uncandid?"

"I don't know about uncandid. But I should say you were slippery."

At this extraordinary criticism the young man looked graver than he had
yet been able to do since the beginning of their acquaintance. He said,
presently, "I wish you would explain what you mean by slippery."

"You're as close as a trap!"

"Really?"

"It makes me tired."

"If you're not too tired now I wish you would say how."

"Oh, you understand well enough. You've got me to say what I think about
all sorts of things, and you haven't expressed your opinion on a single,
solitary point?"

Lottie looked fiercely out to sea, turning her face so as to keep him
from peering around into it in the way he had. For that reason, perhaps,
he did not try to do so. He answered, seriously: "I believe you are
partly right. I'm afraid I haven't seemed quite fair. Couldn't you
attribute my closeness to something besides my slipperiness?" He began
to laugh again. "Can't you imagine my being interested in your opinions
so much more than my own that I didn't care to express mine?"

Lottie said, impatiently, "Oh, pshaw!" She had hesitated whether to say,
"Rats!"

"But now," he pursued, "if you will suggest some point on which I can
give you an opinion, I promise solemnly to do so," but he was not very
solemn as he spoke.

"Well, then, I will," she said. "Don't you think it's very strange, to
say the least, for a minister to be always laughing so much?"

Mr. Breckon gave a peal of delight, and answered, "Yes, I certainly do."
He controlled himself so far as to say: "Now I think I've been pretty
open with you, and I wish you'd answer me a question. W