en, Mr. Queed--are you happy?"

Surprised and a little amused, he replied: "Really, I've never stopped
to think. I should say, though, that I was perfectly content."

Fifi laughed and coughed. "There's a big difference--isn't there? Why,
it's just like the exercise, Mr. Queed. Before you began it you were
just _not sick_; now you are _very well_. That's the difference between
content and happiness. Now I," she ran on, "am very, very happy. I wake
up in the mornings _so_ glad that I'm alive that sometimes I can hardly
bear it, and all through the day it's like something singing away inside
of me! Are you like that?"

No, Mr. Queed must confess that he was not like that. Indeed, few
looking at his face at this moment would ever have suspected him of it.
Fifi regarded him with a kind of wistful sadness, but he missed the
glance, being engaged in consulting his great watch; after which he
sprang noisily to his feet, horrified at himself.

"Good heavens--it's ten minutes past five! I must go immediately. Why,
I'm twenty-five minutes behind My Schedule!"

Fifi smiled through her wistfulness. "Don't ask me to be sorry, Mr.
Queed, because I don't think I can. You see, I haven't taken up a minute
of your time for nearly a month, so I was entitled to some of it
to-day."

You see! Hadn't he figured it exactly right from the beginning? Once
give a human being a moment of your time, as a special and extraordinary
kindness, and before you can turn around there that being is claiming it
wholesale as a matter-of-course right!

"It was so sweet of you to send me these flowers, and then to come and
see me, too.... Do you know, it's been the very best day I've had since
I've been sick, and you've made it so!"

"It's all right. Well, good-bye, Fifi."

Fifi held out both her tiny hands, and he received them because, in the
sudden emergency, he could think of no way of avoiding them.

"You'll remember what I said about friends, and _men_--won't you, Mr.
Queed? Remember it begins with liking people, liking everybody. Then
when you really like them you want to do things for them, and that is
happiness."

He looked surprised at this definition of happiness, and then: "Oh--I
see. That's your religion, isn't it?"

"No, it's just common sense."

"I'll remember. Well, Fifi, good-bye."

"Good-bye--and thank you for everything."

Into her eyes had sprung a tenderness which he was far from
understanding. But he did not like the look