the window and came
gayly forward.

"Oh, I forgot: I was going to feed the birds. There are several of them
out there now." As she spoke, she busily broke up some of the rolls on
the table. Her face was bright with the pleasure of the thought.

"If you don't much mind, Julia," her uncle began, with almost pleading
intonations, "I rather think I wouldn't feed those birds. The rule is
there before our eyes, you know--and it's always been my idea that if
you're at a hotel it's the correct thing to abide by its rules. It's
just an idea of mine--and I daresay, if you think about it, you'll feel
the same way."

The girl freed the last remaining bread-crumb from her gloves. "Why, of
course, uncle," she said, with promptitude.

Although there was no hint of protest in her tone or manner, he felt
impelled to soften still further this solitary demonstration of his
authority. "You see I've been all round the world, my little girl," he
explained, haltingly, "and when a man's done that, and knocked about
everywhere, he's apt to get finicking and notional about trifles every
once in a while."

"You're less so than anybody I ever knew," she generously interposed.

"Oh, no I'm not. You don't know me well enough yet; that's what's the
matter. And you see, Julia--another thing just because you saw that lady
throwing out bread, that aint a very good reason why you should do it.
You don't know what kind of a person she may be. Girls have got to be so
frightfully careful about all that sort of thing."

Julia offered a constrained little laugh in comment. "Oh, you don't know
how careful I can be," she said.

"But you're not annoyed?" he entreated her--and for answer she came
behind him, and rested an arm on his shoulder, and patted it. He stroked
her hand with his own. "That's something like the nicest niece in the
world!" he exclaimed, with fervour.

When at last she and her brother had gone, he made short work of his
breakfast, and drank his coffee at a gulp. A restless activity suddenly
informed his movements. He lit a cigar, and began pacing up and down the
room, biting his lips in preoccupation as he went. After a little, he
opened a window, and ventured cautiously as far out on the balcony
as was necessary to obtain a view of the street below. Eventually, he
identified his nephew and niece among the pedestrians beneath him, and
he kept them in sight till, after more than one tiresome halt at a shop
window, they disappeared