ar forever! But, thank Heaven,
its climatic characteristics remain intact. When you are older, Dorothy,
and your liver asserts itself, you will appreciate this incomparable
climate at its proper value."

"Well, it hasn't asserted itself yet, you know; and I must say I'm
devoutly thankful that something has happened to wake up the quiet and
intensely respectable Philadelphians before I had to come here. But I'm
very glad, dear Uncle Hutchinson," Miss Lee continued, winningly, "that
this climate is so good for you, and I'm sure I hope that you won't have
a single bilious attack all the time that you are here. And you'll take
your angel to the dances, and to see the tennis, and you'll give her
lunch-parties, and you'll take her yachting, won't you, you dear? But I
know you will; and if this were not such a very conspicuous place,
and might make a scandal, I'd give you a very sweet kiss to pay you
in advance for all the trouble that you are going to take to make
your angel enjoy herself. You needn't bother about the teas, Uncle
Hutchinson--for the most part they're only women, and stupid."

Being still somewhat cast down by painful memories of that trying final
fortnight in Saratoga, during which he and his niece had pulled so
strongly in opposite directions, Mr. Port heard with a lively alarm this
declaration of a plan of campaign which, if carried out, would wreck
hopelessly his own comfort of body and peace of mind. Obviously, this
was no time for faltering. If the catastrophe was to be averted, he must
speak out at once and with a decisive energy.

"I need not tell you, Dorothy," he began, speaking in a most grave and
earnest tone, "that it is my desire to discharge in the amplest and
kindest manner my duties towards you as a guardian--"

"I'm sure of it, and of course you needn't tell me, you dearest
dear--and we might begin with just a little lunch to-day. The breakfast
was horrid, and I didn't get half enough even of what there was."

"But I must say now," Mr. Port went on--keenly regretting the
unfortunate beginning that he had given to his declaration of
independence, but judiciously ignoring Dorothy's shrewd perversion of
it--"that your several suggestions literally are impossibilities. I
admit that dancing for a short period, at about an hour after each meal,
is an admirable exercise that produces a most salutary effect upon the
digestive apparatus; but persistent dancing until an unduly late period
of the n