r. Sherwood passed him, thinking it a strange coincidence
that the never-till-now hated fish should be thrust before him at this
moment. He tried to be his natural self, but those haunting lines had full
possession of him, and every mouthful seemed to choke him.

Dexie was watching him closely, and felt sure that his abstraction was due
to the one cause, and she silently enjoyed his discomfiture.

Gussie, who sat opposite, also noticed it, and remembering her promise to
Dexie, began:

"Oh! Mr. Plaisted, I'm afraid you do not care for shad! How unfortunate
that we happen to have it for dinner to-day! We are all very fond of shad,
myself especially, and this is very nicely cooked, just to my liking," and
she gave Dexie a sideward look.

"Yes, we _all_ like shad, even to the cat," said the irrepressible Georgie.
"I found her with her nose in the basket the first thing."

"Be quiet, sir!" said the father sternly, and Georgie obediently subsided,
while Dexie could hardly repress a giggle.

"Let me help you to another piece, Plaisted," said Mr. Sherwood. "What! not
any more? It is not often we get such good shad in an inland town. Halifax
is the place for fine shad! In the season, when the catch is fair, you can
get your pick for a song almost, but here, I expect, their scarcity makes
them of more value."

"Yes," replied Dexie, "they are rather dear, _dear shad_," and she looked
intently at her plate, well knowing how Plaisted was glaring at her. "Yes,"
she added, "I call them dear shad when one has to pick over such a quantity
of bones before getting a satisfactory mouthful, don't you, Mr. Plaisted?"
But Mr. Plaisted laid down his knife and fork, and returned her look with
interest.

"I fear you are not making a dinner at all, Mr. Plaisted," Mrs. Sherwood
put in. "You do not seem to care for shad."

"No! I detest them, though I was not aware of the fact till to-day," he
replied.

"They are not cooked to your liking, I fear! I wish, Dexie, you had looked
after them a little better. How do you prefer your shad cooked, Mr.
Plaisted?" she added, in a concerned voice.

"I do not care for shad in any shape or form," he said, rather shortly,
which caused everyone to look up in dismay, all except Dexie, and she
seemed intent on finding the minutest bone.

"I am very sorry! You should have spoken about it sooner. Eliza, remove Mr.
Plaisted's plate. I hope we have something else you can relish."

He made a show at eatin