r very long, Mr. Geoffrey?"

"Long enough to know she is--the only woman!"

"Say, Geoff," sighed Spike, "I guess old Pffeff was right about this
bird; she kind o' melts--'n' say--she's meltin' fast! If you two don't
stop chewin' d' rag an' get busy you'll be too late for this bird,
because this bird is sure a bird of passage and--Holy Gee!" he broke
off, as a knock sounded on the outer door, "who's this, I wonder?"

Before he could rise, Hermione had vanished into the passage.

"Say, Geoff," he whispered, "how if it's Bud?"

Ravenslee frowned and pushed back his chair, but in that moment they
heard Hermione's glad welcome: "Why, Ann, you dear thing, you're just in
time for the turkey--come right in."

"Turkey, my dear!" spoke the harsh voice of Mrs. Trapes. "Turkey--land
sakes! But I only jest stepped over t' ask if you'd happened to find
that lodger o' mine anywheres--why, Lord bless me!" she broke off,
halting in the doorway as she beheld Ravenslee. "Lordy Lord, if he ain't
a-settin' there, cool as ever was! If he ain't a-eatin' an' drinkin' an'
me cookin' him at this moment the loveliest mutton chop you ever see! A
mutton chop wiv a kidney, as he ordered most express--Lord, Mr.
Geoffrey!"

"Why, to be sure," said Ravenslee, rising. "I forgot all about that
chop, Mrs. Trapes."

"Didn't you order it most express--cut thick--an' wiv a kidney?"

"I did," said Ravenslee penitently.

"Well--there it is, cooked to a turn, an' nobody t' eat it! An' kidneys
is rose again--kidneys is always risin'. Lord, Mr. Geoffrey!"

"Why, you see, Mrs. Trapes, we--that is, I had a birthday not long ago,
and we're celebrating."

"And so shall you, Ann," said Hermione, "sit down, dear!"

"An' me in me oldest apron?" said Mrs. Trapes, squaring her elbows, "my
dear, I couldn't--an' I wouldn't! But, oh! Mr. Geoffrey, what about that
beautiful chop? I might warm it over for your breakfast?"

"Heaven forbid!"

"Then I must eat it myself, I suppose, though it do seem a shame to
waste such a lovely chop on Ann Angelina Trapes! But, Hermy dear, I just
been down to see Mrs. Bowker, an' her little Hazel's very bad--her poor
little hip again, an' she's coughin' too, somethin' dreadful."

"Poor little Hazel! Did she ask for me, Ann?"

"Well, my dear, she did, an' Mrs. Bowker did ask if you'd go an' look at
her--but I do hate t' disturb ye, that I do!"

"Oh, it's all right, Ann. Tell Mrs. Bowker I'll be right down."

"I will so, bu