m too much already."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What can I mean by it but just what I say? I should think you'd get
rid of him."

Having first looked puzzled, with a suggestion of pain, he ended with
a laugh. "You might as well expect me to get rid of an old
grandfather. Steptoe wouldn't let me, if I wanted to."

"He doesn't like me."

"Oh, that's just your imagination, Barbe. I'll answer for him when it
comes to----"

"You needn't take the trouble to do that, because I don't like him."

"Oh, but you will when you come to understand him."

"Possibly; but I don't mean to come to understand him. Old servants
can be an awful nuisance, Rash----"

"But Steptoe isn't exactly an old servant. He's more like----"

"Oh, I know what he's like. He's a habit; and habits are always
dangerous, even when they're good. But we're not going to quarrel
about Steptoe yet. I just thought I'd put you on your guard----"

"Against him?"

"He's a horrid old schemer, if that's what you want me to say; but
then it may be what you like."

"Well, I do," he laughed, "when it comes to him. He's been a horrid
old schemer as long as I remember him, but always for my good."

"For your good as he sees it."

"For my good as a kind old nurse might see it. He's limited, of
course; but then kind old nurses generally are."

To be true to her vow of keeping the peace she forced back her
irritations, and smiled. "You're an awful goose, Rash; but then you're
a lovable goose, aren't you?" She beckoned, imperiously. "Come here."

When he was on his knees beside her chair she pressed back his face
framed by her two hands. "Now tell me. Which do you love most--Steptoe
or me?"

He cast about him for two of her special preferences. "And you tell
me; which do you love most, a saddle-horse or an opera?"

"If I told you, which should I be?--the opera or the saddle-horse?"

"If I told you, which would you give up?"

So they talked foolishly, as lovers do in the chaffing stage, she
trying to charm him into promising to get rid of Steptoe, he charmed
by her willingness to charm him. Neither remembered that technically
he was a married man; but then neither had ever taken his marriage to
Letty as a serious breach in their relations.

* * * * *

While he was thus on his knees the kindly old nurse was giving to
Letty a kindly old nurse's advice.

"If madam 'ud go out and tyke a walk I think it'd do mad