"Thank the lord, there's no formality about this house. Good things in plenty, but no useless frippery made for effect and expenditure. When one comes in here, it's to find a home that's lived in, used, created for comfort and enjoyment. Reese, old man, you're to be congratulated! With the cynical egotism of one who is too largely surrounded by a world of sham, I say that I myself could have done no better with this house. It is perfection." "And that's a huge compliment, Dot, for Lawrence Macgowan to pay!" exclaimed the beaming Armstrong. "He's a famous critic of the arts. Everybody up and down the Avenue looks to Mac to pass on worthy furniture, Serbian sculpture and all the professional forms of art! On the strength of this compliment, you can go into the house-decorating business and become rich in a month." "Nonsense, I mean it!" protested Macgowan earnestly. "Absolutely." "And I do thank you." Dorothy's eyes were dancing under the praise, yet the blue-steel gleam still lingered in their depths. "You make amends very pleasantly." "Amends?" Macgowan's brows lifted. "For what, pray?" "For a remark you made in Evansville, the day we were married. You remember?" Macgowan regarded her, frowning slightly in puzzled retrospection. "I'm afraid not," he said. "Surely, it was nothing to require amends?" As he said this, his eyelids lowered the barest trifle. The movement was entirely involuntary. So trivial was it, so subtly evanescent, as to be almost imperceptible; only one watching him keenly would have observed this slight muscular reflex. Dorothy observed it. If she knew it for the sign of a lie, she made no comment. "Oh, not in the least!" she responded, a smile on her lips. "And I dare Reese to try dragging business into this home and spoiling it! Just to show that I'm not a bit afraid of the consequences, I want to ask you two men something about business." Armstrong settled deeper into his chair and lighted his cigar. "Fire away, Dot! Any time I don't drop business the minute I leave the office, just you jump on me. Want to invest some surplus cash, or what?" She laughed. "No, thank you! You can play with other people's money all you like. I want to ask about Food Products, that's all--what you're doing with it. And do sit down, Lawrence. You make me nervous, handling that cigar like a baton; besides, you cut off all the beauty of the fire." "Cruel lady!" sighed Macgowan. "Can you not appreciate the magnificence of such a fire-screen? Well, I obey. Reese, tell the lady all about Food Products." He sat down, gazing at the ceiling, and puffed reflectively at his cigar. He appeared to be rather thoughtful about something. "Well, Dot?" inquired Armstrong. "What do you want to know?" "Oh, everything in general! Is that stock issue on the market?"