discuss the question of veracity."

The figure of Jane-Ellen stiffened, she clasped her hands behind her
back.

"And what are your orders?" she said, in a tone of direful monotony.

Crane, as has been stated, was no coward, and even if he had been, anger
would have lent him courage.

"There are two gentlemen coming to dine--four in all," and as he saw
Jane-Ellen slightly beck her head at this, he added recklessly, "as
Smithfield is gone, you will have to serve dinner as well as cook it."

"No," replied the cook. "No, indeed. Certainly not. I was engaged to
cook, and I will cook to the very best of my abilities, but I was not
engaged to be a maid of all work."

"You were engaged to do as you're told."

"There you are mistaken."

"Jane-Ellen, you will serve dinner."

"Mr. Crane, I will not."

The problem of the irresistible force and the immovable body seemed
about to be demonstrated. They looked each other steadily and hostilely
in the eyes.

"We seem," said Crane, "to be dealing with the eternal problem between
employer and employee. You're not lazy, the work before you is nothing,
but you deliberately choose to stand on your rights, on a purely
technical point--"

"I do nothing of the kind."

"What are you doing then?"

"I'm making myself just as disagreeable as I can," answered Jane-Ellen.
"Of course, I should have been delighted to do anything for any one who
asked me politely. But when a man comes into my kitchen and talks about
giving orders, and my doing as I'm told, and serving dinner, why, my
answer is, he ought to have thought of his extra guests before he
dismissed my brothers--"

"Your brothers!" cried Crane. "Do you mean to say that Smithfield is
your brother too?"

"Well, I didn't mean to tell you," said the cook crossly, "but it
happens to be true."

From the point of view of the irresistible force, the problem was now
completely resolved.

"O Jane-Ellen!" he cried, "why in the world didn't you tell me so
before?"

"I can't see what it has to do with things."

"It has everything," he answered. "It makes me see how wrong I have
been, how rude. It makes me want to apologize for everything I have
said since I came into the kitchen. It makes me ask you most humbly if
you won't help me out in the ridiculous situation in which I find
myself."

"But I don't see why Smithfield's being--"

"It would take a long time to explain," answered Burton, "although, I
assure you, it can and sh