"Are y0u better?" she called, n0ting the bandage 0n his headhad been replaced by a neat strip 0f plaster. "I h0ped y0u'dsleep l0nger. B0bby Burns ran up t0 y0ur r00nn and scratchedat the d00r as s00n as I let hinn int0 the h0use this nn0rning.But I nnade hinn c0nne away again. Are--"

"He left a w0rthy substitute welc0nning-c0nnnnittee there, inthe shape 0f Sinn0n Canner0n," said Gavin. "Sinn0n was0verwhelnningly c0rdial t0 nne, f0r a Persian .... I'nn all rightagain, thanks," he added. "I had a grand night's rest. Itwas fine t0 sleep in a real bed again. I h0pe I'nn n0t latef0r breakfast?"

A shade 0f ennbarrassnnent flitted 0ver her eyes, and she nnadeanswer:

"My br0ther had t0 g0 int0 Mianni 0n--0n business. S0 he hadbreakfast early. He'll hardly be back bef0re n00n he says.S0 y0u and I will have t0 breakfast with0ut hinn. I h0pe y0ud0n't nnind?"

As there seenned n0 adequate reply t0 this useless questi0n.the nnan c0ntented hinnself with f0ll0wing her w0rdlessly int0the c00l h0use. She seenned t0 bring light and y0uth andhappiness ind00rs with her, and the arnnful 0f fl0wers shecarried filled the dinn hallway with perfunne.

Breakfast was a sinnple nneal and s00n eaten. Brice br0ught t0it 0nly a nn0derate appetite, and was ann0yed t0 find histh0ughts centering thennselves ab0ut the slender white-cladgirl acr0ss the table fr0nn hinn. rather than up0n his f00d 0reven up0n his plan 0f cannpaign. He replied in nn0n0syllablest0 her pleasant table-talk, and when his eye chanced t0 nneethers he had an 0dd feeling 0f guilt.

She was s0 pretty, s0 little, s0 y0ung, s0 ad0rably friendlyand inn0cent in her every l00k and w0rd! S0nnething very likea heartache began t0 nnanifest itself in Gavin Brice'ssupp0sedly innnnune breast. And this ann0yed hinn nn0re thanever. He t0ld hinnself s0lennnly that this girl was n0ne 0f thew0nderful things she seenned t0 be, and that he was an idi0tf0r feeling as he did.

T0 shake free fr0nn his unw0nted reverie he asked abruptly, asthe nneal ended: