please."
Ellen looked at him, but did not speak, and he made haste to say: "The
doctor goes so far as to admit that its half a gale. I don't know just
what measure the first officer would have for it. But I congratulate you
on a very typical little storm, Miss Kenton; perfectly safe, but very
decided. A great many people cross the Atlantic without anything half
as satisfactory. There is either too much or too little of this sort
of thing." He went on talking about the weather, and had got such a
distance from the point of beginning that he had cause to repent being
brought back to it when she asked:

"Did the doctor think, you were hurt?"

"Well, perhaps I ought to be more ashamed than I am," said Breckon. "But
I thought I had better make sure. And it's only a bruise--"

"Won't you let ME help you!" she asked, as another dish intervened at
his right. "I hurt you."

Breckon laughed at her solemn face and voice. "If you'll exonerate
yourself first," he answered: "I couldn't touch a morsel that conveyed
confession of the least culpability on your part. Do you consent?
Otherwise, I pass this dish. And really I want some!"

"Well," she sadly consented, and he allowed her to serve his plate.

"More yet, please," he said. "A lot!"

"Is that enough?"

"Well, for the first helping. And don't offer to cut it up for me! My
proud spirit draws the line at cutting up. Besides, a fork will do the
work with goulash."

"Is that what it is?" she asked, but not apparently because she cared to
know.

"Unless you prefer to naturalize it as stew. It seems to have come in
with the Hungarian bands. I suppose you have them in--"

"Tuskingum? No, it is too small. But I heard them at a restaurant in New
York where my brother took us."

"In the spirit of scientific investigation? It's strange how a common
principle seems to pervade both the Hungarian music and cooking--the
same wandering airs and flavors--wild, vague, lawless harmonies in both.
Did you notice it?"

Ellen shook her head. The look of gloom which seemed to Breckon habitual
in it came back into her face, and he had a fantastic temptation to
see how far he could go with her sad consciousness before she should
be aware that he was experimenting upon it. He put this temptation from
him, and was in the enjoyment of a comfortable self-righteousness when
it returned in twofold power upon him with the coming of some cutlets
which capriciously varied the repast.

"Ah, now,