about,
and music proceeded from a screen of palms at the end of the
dining-room. Having had her way, Marian nibbled celery and addressed
herself rather pointedly to Allen, unmindful of the lingering traces of
Harwood's discomfiture. By the time the lobster was served she was on
capital terms with Allen.

In his own delight in Marian, Allen failed utterly to comprehend
Harwood's gloomy silence. Dan scarcely touched his plate, and he knew
that Marian was covertly laughing at him.

"Do you know," said Allen, speaking directly to Dan, "we're having great
arguments at Lueders's; we turn the universe over every day."

"You see, Miss Bassett," Allen explained to Marian; "I'm a fair
carpenter and work almost every day at Louis Lueders's shop. I earn a
dollar a day and eat dinner--dinner, mind you!--at twelve o'clock, out
of a tin pail. You can see that I'm a laboring man--one of the toiling
millions."

"You don't mean that seriously, Mr. Thatcher; not really!"

"Oh, why will you say that? Every one says just that! No one ever
believes that I mean what I say!"

This was part of some joke, Marian surmised, though she did not quite
grasp it. It was inconceivable that the son of the house of Thatcher
should seriously seek a chance to do manual labor. Allen in his dinner
jacket did not look like a laborer: he was far more her idea of a poet
or a musician.

"I went to Lueders's house the other evening for supper," Allen was
saying. "I rather put it up to him to ask me, and he has a house with a
garden, and his wife was most amusing. We all talked German, including
the kids,--three of them, fascinating little fellows. He's a
cabinetmaker, Miss Bassett,--a producer of antiques, and a good one;
and about the gentlest human being you ever saw. He talks about existing
law as though it were some kind of devil,--a monster, devouring the
world's poor. But he won't let his wife spank the children,--wouldn't,
even when one of them kicked a hole in my hat! I supposed that of course
there would be dynamite lying round in tomato cans; and when I shook the
pepper box I expected an explosion; but I didn't see a gun on the place.
He's beautifully good-natured, and laughed in the greatest way when I
asked him how soon he thought of blowing up some of our prominent
citizens. I really believe he likes me--strange but true."

"Better not get in too deep with those fellows," warned Dan. "The police
watch Lueders carefully; he's considered dange