Stuart had scarcely noticed him, beyond muttering, “Not at all,” when the other had said, “Beg pardon, sir.” And now he thought no more of the incident, but continued his walk for an hour, as if by wearying his body he might relieve his mind. Presently, thinking that this was their dinner hour, though he had little appetite for dinner just now, he turned and entered the hall. He did not ring up the elevator, but he walked heavily up the five flights of stairs. It was a mental relief to fatigue himself to faintness. He entered the little parlor and found not dinner, but the tea table spread. Palma was sitting behind the urn and waiting for him. The fire was very bright, the parlor very snug, and the little wife very happy. If this could only continue! “I thought, after a wedding feast at two o’clock, that tea would be better than dinner at six. So I told Poley. Do you mind, Cleve?” inquired Palma. “No, dear; indeed, I prefer tea; it will be more refreshing,” he replied, trying to overcome the heaviness of his soul so that it should not appear in his look or tone. “And Poley has made some of her delicious, light, puffy muffins. I never saw any so nice anywhere as she can make. I tell you, Cleve, dear, if our riches should suddenly ‘take unto themselves wings and fly away,’ Poley and I would open a bake shop with a specialty of these tea muffins. Poley should make them. I would stand behind the counter and sell them and you should keep the accounts, and we should all three make our fortunes and divide the profits,” said Palma as she poured out the delicate Japan tea. Stuart smiled as he took a cup from her hand. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. There’s a letter for you! It came while you were out. I put it on the corner of the mantelpiece. Will you look at it now?” “No, dear; I know what it is. It is only the bill for the month’s rent. The landlord always sends it on the third of the month, and as the third comes on Sunday this time, he has sent it on Saturday, a day earlier.” “Try a muffin, Cleve. You don’t know how nice they are.” He took one to please her. Then she chatted on about the wedding they had just attended, and the young pair who had just sailed for Europe. “They are so anxious that we shall go and visit them at Haymore as soon as they shall be settled there, Cleve. And, indeed, I did promise to use all my influence with you to persuade you to take me over next summer. Why, Cleve, it would be ever so much pleasanter than to go to Lull’s again, even! And yet I used to think Lull’s was just Paradise! What do you think, Cleve?” “I think, my dear one, that it would be very delightful to spend the summer with our friends at Haymore. As much as I have traveled, I have never been in Yorkshire.” “Then you think we may go?” eagerly demanded Palma. “Providence permitting, yes, my dear,” he replied.