dear expression Mr.
Brand's eyes always have, so winning and affectionate, and as if he
thought the world of you. Well, Mr. Gordon's eyes are large and
brown, too, but they are keen and they look right through you and he
flashes one glance around the room and you feel that he knows
everything in it. He isn't so polished in his manners----"

"Mr. Brand has the loveliest manners of any man I ever met," Isabella
interrupted. "His mission in life ought to be to travel round and show
them off as a pattern for all other young men. I wish Warren could
have the advantage of a few lessons."

"Bella!" exclaimed her mother reprovingly. "You ought not to speak
that way of the man who is almost your husband. And Warren is such a
good man, too!"

"So is Mr. Brand," Isabella replied saucily, "awfully good, just too
good to be true. Tell us more about Mr. Gordon, Harry."

"Why, as I was saying, his manner isn't so polished as Mr. Brand's. In
fact, he is so direct and positive that he seems a little curt, though
I'm sure he doesn't mean to be. He makes you feel that he's very
sincere, too. Mr. Brand seems to draw people to him without making any
effort, but Mr. Gordon is more compelling and something about him
makes you take an interest in him and believe in him."

"He impressed you a good deal, didn't he, Harry?" said Isabella,
looking at her sister thoughtfully.

Henrietta felt her cheeks warming again and was annoyed at herself
that she should blush in this way when, as she scolded herself, "there
was no reason for it."

"I don't know that he did, particularly," she said defensively. "His
coming was rather curious and you and mother seemed interested and
wanted to know all about him."

CHAPTER XI

PENELOPE HAS A VISITOR

Penelope Brand lay back in her wheel-chair in the glass-enclosed porch
and gave herself up to luxurious enjoyment of its sun-filled warmth.
The table beside her with its books and its sewing, but just now
finished and neatly folded, gave evidence that she had spent a busy
morning. Outside there was bright sunshine, too, but there was also a
raw March wind that filled the air with dust and stimulated the
tear-ducts of the eyes that faced it. The little glass porch had
brought a very great pleasure into her life, giving her, during the
shut-in winter season, always hard for her to endure, wider views of
earth and sky, a flood of the sunshine in which she loved to bask and,
on days when it was pos