"I have nothing to tell you on this subject." "You are tired,--I must not keep you, but just let me ask you two or three questions. What is the matter with Mr. Huntington?" "Well, I think he has some mental worry." "He acted so strangely to-day. I came suddenly upon him and Miss Chelda, and he seemed to be in a state of perfect bliss,--almost silly in fact. All through dinner--ah, what a nice dinner we had, Justin!--he was the same way. Then afterward we went to the music-room to hear Miss Chelda play. Her execution is something wonderful, but I suppose you know all about it, also that she cannot sing. Miss Gastonguay wanted me to try. I told her I had only a little faint squeak of a voice, but she insisted. I sang one song after another, and when I finished 'The Land o' the Leal' Mr. Huntington looked so strangely, and finally stepped out of the room and left the house. Miss Chelda didn't say anything, but I felt that she didn't like it. Was it not queer of him not to take leave?" "Very." "I would like to know what is wrong with him, but I see you won't tell me. Do you like Miss Chelda?" "I don't know much about her, except that she was fond of making faces at me when she strutted about the streets here, a little overdressed girl. My father used to be intimate with the Gastonguays before his marriage; but they have never liked my mother nor me, and I was surprised to hear that Miss Gastonguay had called to-day. One of her whims must have taken possession of her." "Do you mean to say that Miss Chelda is as old as you are?" "Almost." "Why, she acts as if she were as young as I am. I dare say she takes something off her age. Girls often do." "Would you?" he asked. "Well, I don't need to yet. Perhaps I will some day." His face darkened, and he absently toyed with his glasses. "You are a very proper man," said his wife, teasingly. "I believe you would want to shake me if I told a story. I'll have to, you know. Good gracious, everybody tells stories." "Please don't jest on such a subject." "On such a subject,--I will if I choose, sir. Oh, what a fright you are with that ugly frown on your brow! but I am not afraid of you. I think I will go to bed, you are getting tiresome. Miss Gastonguay is so amusing," and, with a regretful sigh, she rose to leave him. "You like Miss Gastonguay," he said, with quiet eagerness. "Yes, immensely. At first I could not make her out. Now I like her a thousand times better than that niece of hers. Miss Chelda is queer,--just like a deep, dark river. I detest people who look at me so coolly that I can't tell what they are thinking about. You are like that sometimes." Unmindful of this thrust, Justin asked, "Did she tell you anything about her family history?"