complaints to make of my
neighbours, I mustn't hesitate.'

One Saturday evening when I was having supper with Lena, we heard a
knock at her parlour door, and there stood the Pole, coatless, in a
dress shirt and collar. Prince dropped on his paws and began to growl
like a mastiff, while the visitor apologized, saying that he could
not possibly come in thus attired, but he begged Lena to lend him some
safety pins.

'Oh, you'll have to come in, Mr. Ordinsky, and let me see what's the
matter.' She closed the door behind him. 'Jim, won't you make Prince
behave?'

I rapped Prince on the nose, while Ordinsky explained that he had not
had his dress clothes on for a long time, and tonight, when he was going
to play for a concert, his waistcoat had split down the back. He thought
he could pin it together until he got it to a tailor.

Lena took him by the elbow and turned him round. She laughed when she
saw the long gap in the satin. 'You could never pin that, Mr. Ordinsky.
You've kept it folded too long, and the goods is all gone along the
crease. Take it off. I can put a new piece of lining-silk in there for
you in ten minutes.' She disappeared into her work-room with the vest,
leaving me to confront the Pole, who stood against the door like a
wooden figure. He folded his arms and glared at me with his excitable,
slanting brown eyes. His head was the shape of a chocolate drop, and was
covered with dry, straw-coloured hair that fuzzed up about his pointed
crown. He had never done more than mutter at me as I passed him, and
I was surprised when he now addressed me. 'Miss Lingard,' he said
haughtily, 'is a young woman for whom I have the utmost, the utmost
respect.'

'So have I,' I said coldly.

He paid no heed to my remark, but began to do rapid finger-exercises on
his shirt-sleeves, as he stood with tightly folded arms.

'Kindness of heart,' he went on, staring at the ceiling, 'sentiment,
are not understood in a place like this. The noblest qualities are
ridiculed. Grinning college boys, ignorant and conceited, what do they
know of delicacy!'

I controlled my features and tried to speak seriously.

'If you mean me, Mr. Ordinsky, I have known Miss Lingard a long time,
and I think I appreciate her kindness. We come from the same town, and
we grew up together.'

His gaze travelled slowly down from the ceiling and rested on me. 'Am I
to understand that you have this young woman's interests at heart? That
you do not wis