rd-room and--"

"'Sh-h-h-h, papa, let Irving--Go on, Irving."

He cleared his throat, inserting two fingers within his tall collar.
"You see, Mr. Binswanger, you and Mrs. Binswanger, just at the last
minute we--we both seen we couldn't let go!"

"Miriam!"

"Now don't get excited, Mrs. Binswanger, only we--well, we just went and
got married, Mrs. Binswanger, when we seen we couldn't let go. From Dr.
Cann we just came. A half-hour on pins and needles, you can believe us
or not, we had to wait for him, and that's what made us so late. See, on
her hand she's got the ring and--"

"See, mamma!"

"And in my pocket I got the special license. We couldn't help it, Mr.
Binswanger, we--we just couldn't let go."

"We couldn't, mamma, papa. We thought we ought to stay at home in the
flat--you're so worried, mamma, about burglars and nobody in America
with Izzy--and--and--Mamma? Papa? Haven't you got nothing to say to your
Miriam?"

She extended empty and eloquent arms, a note of pleading rising above
the tears in her words.

"Nothing? Mamma? Papa?"

From without came voices; the grinding of chains lifting cargo; a
great basso from a smoke-stack; more voices. "All off! All off!" Feet
scurrying over wooden decks! "All off! All off!" A second steam-blast
that shot up like a rocket.

"Mamma? Ray? Papa? Haven't any of you got anything to say?"

"_Gott in Himmel_!" said Mrs. Binswanger. "_Gott in Himmel_!"

"So!" said Mr. Binswanger, placing a hand with a loud pat on each knee.
"So!"

"Oh, papa!"

"A fine come-off! A fine come-off! Eh, mamma? To Europe we go to take
our daughter, and just so soon as we go no daughter we 'ain't got to
take!"

"_Gott in Himmel! Gott in Himmel_!"

"Ray, haven't you got nothing to say to Irving and me--Ray!"

With a quick, fluid movement the younger sister slid close and her arms
wound tight. "Miriam, you--you little darling, you! Miriam! Irving! You
darlings!"

Suddenly Mrs. Binswanger inclined, inclosing the two in a wide, moist
embrace. "Ach, my Miriam, what have you done! Not a stitch, not even a
right wedding! Irving, you bad boy, you, like I--I should ever dream you
had thoughts to be our son-in-law. Ach, my children, my children! Simon,
I tell you we can be thankful it's a young man what we know is all
right. Ach, I--I just don't know--I--just--don't know."

"Papa, you ain't mad at us?"

"What good it does me to be mad? I might just so well be glad as mad. My
little Miriam-