g part of the
house."

"I did not disagree with that," said Crane, still looking at Jane-Ellen.

"Oh, my dear boy, you would never have come down if I had not made you."

"One doesn't always do what one wants to do," said Crane.

Mrs. Falkener turned. The kitchen had revealed none of the enormities
she had expected--not even a man hidden in the kitchen closet, the door
of which she had hopefully opened; but one chance still remained. The
ice-box! In her time she had known many incriminating ice-boxes. She
called loudly to be taken to it.

"It's this way, madame," said the cook.

Mrs. Falkener drew Crane aside.

"That," she said, "is the very best way to judge of a cook's economical
powers. See how much she saves of the dishes that come from the upstairs
table. Now, last night I happened to notice that the chicken salad went
downstairs almost untouched."

For the first time in years, Burton found himself coloring.

"Oh, really?" he stammered. "I had an idea that we had eaten quite a lot
of it."

"No," returned Mrs. Falkener firmly, "no, a good dish went down. Let us
go and see."

Crane glanced at Jane-Ellen. He thought she had overheard.

They reached the ice-box; the cook lifted the lid, and Mrs. Falkener
looked in. The first sight that greeted her eyes was the platter that
had borne the salad she had liked so much. It was almost empty.

"Why, Jane-Ellen," she said, "where is all the rest of that excellent
salad?"

At this question, Jane-Ellen, who was standing beside the chest, gave
the lid a slight downward impulsion, so that it suddenly closed with a
loud, heavy report, within half an inch of Mrs. Falkener's nose.

That lady turned to Burton.

"Burton," she said, with the majesty of which she was at times capable,
"I leave it to you to decide whether or not this impossible young woman
did that on purpose," and so saying she swept away up the stairs, like a
goddess reascending Olympus.

"Look here, Jane-Ellen," said Crane, "I don't stand for that."

"Oh, sir," replied the culprit, with a return to an earlier manner, "you
surely don't think I had anything to do with it?"

"Unhappily, I was watching your hand at the time, and I know that you
had."

Jane-Ellen completely changed her method.

"Oh, well," she said, "you did not want her going on any more about the
old salad, did you?"

"I don't want the end of my guest's nose taken off."

"It's rather a long nose," said the cook dispassionatel