Just introduce me for your grandmother, will
you, and I will matronize the party.'

A request Mr. Falkirk complied with by entering forthwith into
a long business discussion with another occupant of the stage
coach, also known to him; in which stocks, commercial
regulations, political enterprises, and the relative bearings
of the same, precluded all reference to anything else
whatever. Nobody's grandmother could have had less (visible)
attention than Miss Hazel, up to the time when the coach
rolled up to the door of a wayside inn, and the party got out
to a luncheon or early dinner, as some of them would have
called it. Then indeed she had enough. Mr. Falkirk handed her
out and handed her in; straight to the gay carpeted "Ladies'
room;" shut the door carefully, and asked her what she would
have. No other lady was there to dispute possession.

'Only a broiled chicken, sir--and a souffle--and potatoes a la
creme au gratin,' said Miss Hazel, throwing off her bonnet and
curling herself down on the arm of the sofa. 'Mr. Falkirk, all
my previous acquaintance with cushions was superficial!--And
could you just open the window, sir, and throw back the
blinds? last November is in this room, apples and all.'

Mr. Falkirk obeyed directions, remarking that people who
travel in search of their fortune must expect to meet with
November in unexpected places; and then went off into the
general eating-room, and by and by, from there or some other
insalubrious region came a servant, with half of an
imperfectly broiled fowl and muddy dish of coffee, flanked by
a watery pickled cucumbers. Mr. Falkirk himself presently
returned.

'How does it go?' he said.

'What, Mr. Falkirk?' the young lady was curled down in one
corner of the sofa, much like a kitten; a small specimen of
which animal purred complacently on her shoulder.

'Could you eat, Miss Hazel?'

'Truly, sir, I could. Mr. Falkirk--what a lovely kitten! Do you
remark her length of tail?'

Mr. Falkirk thought he had heard of "puss in boots" before,
but never had the full realization thereof till now.

'You have tasted nothing,' he said. 'What shall I get you? We
shall be off in a few minutes, and you will not have another
chance till we reach Hadyn's Dam.'

'Thank you, sir. A few minutes of undisturbed repose--with the
removal of those cucumbers--and the restoration of that chicken
to its other and I hope better half, is all that I require.'

'You will have rest at Had