o his eyes as he unfolded his sister's letter--with
Therese still holding his arm and sitting very close to him.

"Well," he said, glancing over the first few pages--his wife
following--"she's given up her charming little flat and her quaint
little English woman: concludes I was right about the expense, etc.,
etc. But here comes the gist of the matter," he said, reading from the
letter--" 'I know you won't object to the trip, David, I have my heart
so set on it. The expense will be trifling, seeing there are four of
us to divide carriage hire, restaurant and all that: and it counts.

" 'If you only knew Mrs. Griesmann I'd feel confident of your consent.
You'd be perfectly fascinated with her. She's one of those highly
gifted women who knows everything. She's very much interested in me.
Thinks to have found that I have a quick comprehensive intellectualism
(she calls it) that has been misdirected. I think there is something
in that, David; you know yourself I never did care really for society.
She says it's impossible to ever come to a true knowledge of life as
it is--which should be every one's aim--without studying certain
fundamental truths and things.' "

"Oh," breathed Therese, overawed.

"But wait--but listen," said Hosmer, " 'Natural History and all
that--and we're going to take that magnificent trip through the
West--the Yosemite and so forth. It appears the flora of California is
especially interesting and we're to carry those delicious little tin
boxes strapped over our shoulders to hold specimens. Her son and
daughter are both, in their way, striking. He isn't handsome; rather
the contrary; but so serene and collected--so intensely bitter--his
mother tells me he's a pessimist. And the daughter really puts me to
shame, child as she is, with the amount of her knowledge. She labels
all her mother's specimens in Latin. Oh, I feel there's so much to be
learned. Mrs. Griesmann thinks I ought to wear glasses during the
trip. Says we often require them without knowing it ourselves--that
they are so restful. She has some theory about it. I'm trying a pair,
and see a great deal better through them than I expected to. Only they
don't hold on very well, especially when I laugh.

" 'Who do you suppose seized on to me in Vandervoort's the other day,
but that impertinent Mrs. Belle Worthington! Positively took me by the
coat and commenced to gush about dear sister Therese. She said: "I
tell you what, my dear--" called m