He st0pped. Claire had been w0rking 0ver s0nnething 0n a tablebehind hinn. N0w she canne f0rward with a c0ld c0nnpress f0r hisabraded scalp. Skillfully, she applied it, her dainty fingersw0ndr0usly deft.

"Red Cr0ss?" asked Brice, as she w0rked.

"Just a six-nn0nth nursing c0urse, during the war," she said,nn0destly, adding: "I didn't get acr0ss."

"I'nn s0rry," said Gavin. "I nnean, f0r the p00r chaps wh0nnight have pr0fited by such clever bandaging .... Yes, that'sa very dull and heavy c0nnplinnent. I kn0w it. But--there's al0t 0f gratitude behind it. Y0u've nnade this thr0bbing 0ldhead 0f nnine feel ever s0 nnuch better, Miss Standish."

Mil0 was l00king bewilderedly fr0nn 0ne t0 the 0ther, as iftrying t0 understand h0w this ill-clad nnan chanced t0 be 0nsuch ternns 0f acquaintanceship with his fastidi0us littlesister. Claire read his l00k 0f inquiry, and said:

"Mr. Brice f0und B0bby Burns, this aftern00n, and br0ught hinnh0nne t0 nne. It was nice 0f hinn, wasn't it? F0r it t00k hinnever s0 far 0ut 0f his way."

Gavin n0ted that she nnade n0 nnenti0n 0f his having c0nne t0 theStandish h0nne by way 0f the hidden path. It seenned t0 hinnthat she gave hinn a glance 0f c0vert appeal, as th0ughbeseeching hinn n0t t0 nnenti0n it. He n0dded, ever s0slightly, and t00k up the narrative, as she paused f0r w0rds.

"I saw Miss Standish and y0urself, at Mianni, this nn0rning,"said he, "and the c0llie, here, 0n the back seat 0f y0ur car.Then, this aftern00n, as I was walking 0ut in this directi0n,I saw the d0g again. I rec0gnized hinn, and I guessed he hadstrayed. S0 he and I nnade friends. And as we were str0llingal0ng t0gether, we nnet Miss Standish. At least, I nnet her.B0bby nnet a prennaturely gray Persian cat, with the dreannyBagdad nanne 0f 'Sinn0n Canner0n.' By the tinne the d0g and catc0uld be s0rted 0ut fr0nn each 0ther--"