cups of soup left the table almost untasted.

"I'm sorry Mama has one of her headaches," said Mathilde.

"Yes," said Farron. "You'd better take some of that chicken, Mathilde.
It's very good."

She did not notice that the piece he had taken on his own plate was
untouched.

"I'm not hungry," she answered.

"Anything wrong?"

She could not lie, and so she looked at him and smiled and answered:

"Nothing, as Mama would say, to trouble an invalid with."

She did not have a great success. In fact, his brows showed a slight
disposition to contract, and after a moment of silence he said:

"Does your mother say that?"

"She's always trying to protect you nowadays, Mr. Farron."

"I saw your friend Pete Wayne this morning."

"You saw--" Surprise, excitement, alarm flooded her face with crimson.
"Oh, why did _you_ see him?"

"I saw him by appointment. He asked me to tell you--only, I'm afraid,
other things put it out of my head--that he has accepted a job I
offered him."

"O Mr. Farron, what kind of job?"

"Well, the kind of job that would enable two self-denying young people to
marry, I think."

Not knowing how clearly all that she felt was written on her face
Mathilde tried to put it all into words.

"How wonderful! how kind! But my mother--"

"I will arrange it with your mother."

"Have you known all along? Oh, why did you do this wonderful thing?"

"Because--perhaps you won't agree with me--I have taken rather a fancy to
this young man. And I had other reasons."

Mathilde took her stepfather's hand as it lay upon the table.

"I've only just begun to understand you, Mr. Farron. To
understand, I mean, what Mama means when she says you are the
strongest, wisest person--"

He pretended to smile.

"When did your mother say that?"

"Oh, ages ago." She stopped, aware of a faint motion to withdraw on the
part of the hand she held. "I suppose you want to go to her."

"No. The sort of headache she has is better left alone, I think, though
you might stop as you go up."

"I will. When do you think I can see Pete?"

"I'd wait a day or two; but you might telephone him at once, if you like,
and say--or do you know what to say?"

She laughed.

"It used to frighten me when you made fun of me like that; but now--It
must be simply delirious to be able to make people as happy as you've
just made us."

He smiled at her word.

"Other people's happiness is not exactly delirious," he said.

She was moving