hands
with a burly bow.

"Good-evenin', Mr. De Blacquaire," said Fuller. "We're pleased to see
you. If you'd care to tek a hand i'stead of settin' idle by to listen,
we shall be glad to mek room. Eh, lads?"

"No, no, thank you, Mr. Fuller," said Ferdinand, "I would rather be a
listener." Ruth was standing near the table, and he raised his cap to
her. She answered his salute with a smile of welcome, and brought him a
chair. "Good-evening, Miss Fuller," he said, standing cap in hand before
her. "What unusually beautiful weather we are having. Do you know, I
am quite charmed with this old garden? There is something delightfully
rustic and homely and old-fashioned about it."

"You are looking at the statues?" she said, with half a laugh. "They are
an idea of father's. He wants to have them painted, but I always stand
out against that--they look so much better as they are."

"Painted?" answered Ferdinand, with a little grimace, and a little
lifting of the hands and shrinking of the body as if the idea hurt him
physically. "Oh no. Pray don't have them painted."

"Well, well. Theer!" cried Fuller. "Here's another as is in favor o'
grime an' slime! It's three to three now. Ruth and Reuben have allays
been for leavin' 'em i' this way."

"Really, Mr. Fuller," said Ferdinand, "you must be persuaded to leave
them as they are. As they are they are charming. It would be quite a
crime to paint them. It would be horribly bad taste to paint them!"

After this partisan espousal of her cause, he was a little surprised to
notice an indefinable but evident change in the rustic beauty's manner.
Perhaps she disliked to hear a stranger accuse her father--however
truly--of horribly bad taste, but this did not occur to Ferdinand, who
had intended to show her that a gentleman was certain to sympathize with
whatever trace of refinement he might discover in her.

"Would it?" said Fuller, simply. "Well, theer's three of a mind, and
they'm likely enough to be right. Anny ways theer's no danger of a brush
coming anigh 'em while the young missis says 'No.' Her word's law i'
this house, and has been ever since her was no higher than the table."

"Wasn't that a ring at the front door?" asked Sennacherib, holding up
his hand.

"Run and see, wench," said Fuller.

Ruth ran down the grass-plot and into the house. She neither shuffled
nor ambled, but skimmed over the smooth turf as if she moved by volition
and her feet had had nothing to do with