whole question of women in England and their chances. I had a hundred
pounds and a few ornaments of Mother's. I love children, but I didn't
want to be a governess. I wanted to stand alone in some place where my
head wouldn't be pushed down every time I tried to raise it. I believed
in America people wouldn't say so often, 'Why doesn't a nice girl like
you get married?' so I came, and here I am. That's the whole story--a
very humdrum one."

"Yes, here you are, thank God!" proclaimed Stefan devoutly. "What
magnificent pluck, and how divine of you to tell me it all! You've saved
me from suicide, almost. These people immolate me."

"How delightfully he exaggerates!" she thought.

"What thousands of things we can talk about," he went on in a burst of
enthusiasm. "What a perfectly splendid time we are going to have!" He all
but warbled.

"I hope so," she answered, smilingly, "but there goes the gong, and I'm
ravenous."

"Dinner!" he cried scornfully; "suet pudding, all those horrible people
--you want to leave this--?" He swept his arm over the glittering water.

"I don't, but I want my dinner," she maintained.

This checked his spirits for a moment; then enlightenment seemed to burst
upon him.

"Glorious creature!" he apostrophized her. "She must be fed, or she would