to my kitchen did not, I believe, inspire her with
confidence. Shall we leave the decision to her?"

Reed went out in silence. He had had no reconciliation with Jane-Ellen
since that fatal kiss in the kitchen, and he knew she would not now side
with him. He decided to go away and find her brothers.

Lefferts, meanwhile, left alone, had stretched himself on a sofa, and
was smoking, with his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"My dear fellow," cried Crane with some compunction, "were you waiting
to see me?"

"I was waiting for my motor," answered the poet. "You know that,
imagining this to be an ordinary dinner-party, I ordered it back at a
quarter before eleven."

"Where's Tucker?" asked Burton.

At this moment a step was heard on the stairs and Tucker, dressed in a
neat gray suit, adapted to traveling, wearing a cap and goggles and
carrying his bag, descended the stairs.

On seeing his host he approached and held out his hand. "Good-by,
Burton," he said, "I hope the time will come when you will forgive me
for having tried too hard to serve you. For myself, I entirely forgive
your hasty rudeness. I hope we part friends."

Crane hesitated, and then shook hands with his lawyer. "There's no use
in pretending, Tucker," he said, "that I feel exactly friendly to you,
and, if you'll forgive my saying so, I can't believe that you feel so to
me. You and I have got on each other's nerves lately; and that's the
truth. How much that means, only time can show. Sometimes it is very
important, sometimes very trivial; but while such a state exists, I
agree with you that two people are better apart. Good-by."

Here, Jane-Ellen, who had just finished putting the dining-room in
order, came out into the hall followed by Willoughby. As she saw
Tucker, she had one of her evil inspirations.

Springing forward, she exclaimed: "Oh, wasn't it a pity, sir, you had to
do your own packing! Let me put your bag in the motor for you."

Tucker was again caught by one of his moments of indecision. He did not
want Jane-Ellen to carry his luggage, but he did not consider it
dignified to wrestle with her for the possession of it, so that in the
twinkling of an eye she had seized it and carried it down the steps.

But he was not utterly without resource. He had been holding a
two-dollar bill in his hand, more from recollections of other visits
than because he now expected to find any one left to fee. This, as
Jane-Ellen came up the steps, he thrust in