n fun--not yet."

"When may I?"

"When we've been married five years."

Sometime later, when, that is to say, they had talked a little longer in
the kitchen, and then shut it up for the night, and had gone and sat a
little while in the parlor so that he might realize that she really was
Miss Claudia Revelly, and they had sat a little while in the office so
that she might act out for him the impression he had made an her during
that first famous interview when he had reproved her conduct, when all
these important conversations had taken place, Crane at last took her
hand and said gravely: "I mustn't keep you up any longer. Good night, my
darling." And he added, after an instant, "I'm so glad--so
grateful--that your mind doesn't work like Reed's and Tucker's."

"Like theirs--in what way?"

"I'm glad you haven't thought it necessary to make any protest at our
being here alone."

A slight motion of his beloved's shoulders told him she was not fully at
one with him.

"How foolish, Burton, of course I trust you absolutely, only--"

"Only what--"

She evidently felt that it was a moment when something decisive must be
done, for she came and laid her head, not on his shoulder, but as near
as she could reach, which was about in the turn of his elbow.

His arm was coldly limp. "Only what?" he repeated.

"Only we're not really alone."

"What do you mean, Claudia?"

"They're all here--my brothers and sister."

"What, Smithfield, and Lily, and even Brindlebury?"

She nodded in as much space as she had.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"They're playing Coon-Can in the garret. And oh," she added with a
sudden spasm of recollection, "they'll be so hungry! They haven't had
anything to eat for ages. I promised to bring them something as soon as
the house was quiet, only you put everything out of my head."

"We'll give them a party in the dining-room--our first," said Crane.
"I'll write the invitation, and we'll send Lefferts to the garret with
it."

"Don't you think I'd better go up and explain?" said Claudia.

"The invitation will explain," answered Burton. It read: "Mr. Burton
Crane and Miss Claudia Revelly request the pleasure of the Revellys'
company at supper immediately."

They roused Lefferts, who had by this time fallen into a comfortable
sleep. "Just run up and give this note to the people you'll find in the
garret, there's a good fellow," said Crane.

Lefferts sat up, rubbing his eyes. "The people I'll