my life, without."

"But you don't know my cookery," said Mr. Knowlton; "_that's_ something
new."

"I don't see the sense of doing things in an outlandish way, when you
have no need to. Nor I don't see why men should cook, as long as
there's women about."

"What _is_ outlandish?" inquired Mr. Knowlton.

"What you've been doing, I should say."

"Come and try my cookery, Mrs. Starling; you will never say anything
against men in that capacity again."

"I never say anything against men anyhow; only against men cooking; and
that ain't natural."

"It comes quite natural to me," said the young officer. "Only taste my
trout, Mrs. Starling, and you will be quite reconciled to me again."

"I ain't quarrelling with nobody--fur's I know," said Mrs. Starling;
"but I've had my supper."

"Well, we haven't had ours," said the young man; and he set himself not
only to supply that deficiency in his own case, but to secure that
Diana should enjoy and eat hers in spite of all hindrances. He saw that
she was wofully annoyed by her mother's manner; it brought out his own
more in contrast than perhaps otherwise would have been. He helped her,
he coaxed her, he praised the trout, and the tea, and the bread, and
the butter; he peppered and salted anew, when he thought it necessary,
on her own plate; and he talked and told stories, and laughed and made
her laugh, till even Mrs. Starling, moving about in the pantry, moved
softly and set down the dishes carefully, that she too might hear.
Diana sometimes knew that she did so; at other times was fain to forget
everything but the glamour of the moment. Trout were disposed of at
last, however, and the remainder was cold; bread and butter had done
its duty; and Mr. Knowlton rose from table. His adieux were gay--quite
unaffected by Mrs. Starling's determined holding aloof; and
involuntarily Diana stood by the table where she could look out of the
window, till she had seen him mount into his waggon and go off.

"Have you got through?" said Mrs. Starling.

"Supper?" said Diana, starting. "Yes, mother."

"Then perhaps I can have a chance now. Do you think there is anything
in the world to do? or is it all done up, in the world you have got
into?"

Diana began clearing away the relics of the trout supper, in silence
and with all haste.

"That ain't all," said Mrs. Starling. "The house don't stand still for
nobody, nor the world, nor things generally. The sponge has got to be
set for the