king calm.
"Of course I didn't like that letter a bit. You see--Heth wasn't any
more than a name to V.V., a sort of symbol, when he wrote it. But I
think it was a mistake all through, and I scolded him well at
the time--"

"Oh, did you?" said Cally, her cheeks very pink. "I imagined you thought
it perfectly precious of him to call papa a shameless homicide."

"Why, you know I never thought anything of the sort, Cally dear,"
answered Hen....

She seemed surprised by the signs of her cousin's displeasure (which
really did seem excessive for a business controversy nearly two months
old) and went on in what was evidently intended to be quite a
soothing manner:

"You know, men are always hammering each other over things like
this--it's really not nearly so awful as it sounds!... And honestly,
Cally, that letter wasn't at all representative of V.V.--even though he
probably thought it was! I mean ... he may talk in that fierce way about
whole classes, but when it comes down to people--individuals--he's about
the kindest person. What he really thinks is--well, that _everybody's
good_.... Here's what I mean, Cally," said Hen, laughing a little, but
with a certain eagerness too, as if it were of some importance for Cally
to see what she meant.... "You know him, you say--slightly, of course.
Well, instead of writing any more letters about the Works, do you know
what it would be exactly like him to do now?"

"Throw a bomb in at papa's office-window?"

"No, speak to _you_ about it!" laughed Henrietta, unabashed--"some time
when he sees you at Mr. Beirne's or somewhere--ask you in the nicest,
most natural way to ask Uncle Thornton if he won't build a new Works!
And you'd see from the way he looked at you that he was perfectly _sure_
you were going to do it, too!"

Cally gazed at Hen silently for at least ten seconds.

"I'd enjoy immensely having him try it," said she slowly. "_Immensely!_
I--I've wanted for some time to say a few words to him...."

At that moment the broken Cooney doorbell rang feebly, and within one
minute V. Vivian came walking into the little parlor.

Supping at the Cooneys was not usually so interesting as this.

When the bell rang, Looloo, springing up from the Major's side in the
dining-room, hurriedly pulled shut the folding-doors between. She
apologized to her cousin through the diminishing crack, saying that it
was probably awful Bob Dunn, and Cally could come hide in there with
them if she'd r