ut of his pocket and
looked at it. "I think now, I'll keep it in my room for safety. You
approve of that, don't you, Tuck?"

Tucker, who felt that in some way he was being deceived, would not
answer, and in the pause Mrs. Falkener rose and said chattily,

"Well, shall we be off?"

"Coming with us, Solon?"

"No, I'm not," returned Tucker crossly.

"Didn't mean to offend you," Crane answered. "I thought you liked
kitchens, too."

Downstairs, they found the kitchen empty. Jane-Ellen was standing just
outside the door watching Willoughby, who was exciting himself most
unnecessarily over preparations which he was making to catch a bird that
was hopping about in the grass near by. The great cat crouched, all
still except the end of his tail, which twitched ominously, then he
rose, and, balancing himself almost imperceptibly on his four paws,
seemed about to spring; then abandoning this method, too, he crept a
little nearer to his victim, his stomach almost touching the earth. And
then the whole exhibition was ended by the bird, who, having
accomplished its foraging expedition, lightly flew away, leaving
Willoughby looking as foolish as a cat ever does look.

Jane-Ellen stooped and patted him.

"You silly dear," she said caressingly.

It was Willoughby who first saw Crane. With a vivid recollection of the
previous evening's feast of chicken from the salad, the cat ran to him
and bumped his nose repeatedly against Crane's legs in token of fealty
and gratitude. Burton felt unduly flattered. He lifted Willoughby, who
instantly made himself very soft and heavy in his arms and showed every
disposition to settle down and go to sleep.

Mrs. Falkener looked at him sentimentally.

"How all animals take to you, Burton, at first sight!" she said.

Crane bent over and replaced Willoughby slowly on the ground, while
Jane-Ellen turned her head away for an instant. Mrs. Falkener went on:

"What a nice, bright kitchen you have, Jane-Ellen. A good range, though
old-fashioned. How bright you keep your copper. That's right." She
wandered away in her tour of inspection. "See, Burton, this blue plate.
It looks to me as if it might have value. And this oak dresser--it must
be two hundred years old." She was across the room and her back was
turned. Crane and the cook stood looking at each other. "How charming,
how interesting!" Mrs. Falkener continued. "And you would not believe me
when I said that the kitchen was the most interestin