Miss Upton did not help her out, but, regaining control of her risibles, continued to eat and drink placidly, allowing her companion to cerebrate. Well she knew that now was the time to defend herself from a summer of grumbling as continuous as the swish of waves on the shore; and well she knew also her companion's verbally unexpressed but intense devotion to herself which made any prospect of their separation a panic. So she waited and Pearl purred. One Mr. Lugubrious Blue flits through the drawings of a certain famous cartoonist. Mr. Blue's mission is to take the joy out of life and Charlotte Whipp was his blood kin. The tip of her long nose was as chilly as his and her gloom was similarly chronic. Miss Upton was determined that she would not be the first to break in upon Pearl's solo. Finally Charlotte spoke: "Do the Barrys have a house to the port?" "Yes, a real cottage. The rest of us have shelters, but you can't call 'em houses." Mrs. Whipp looked up apprehensively. "Do you mean they let in the rain?" "Sometimes in storms," returned Miss Upton cheerfully, "but we run around with pans and catch it." Mrs. Whipp viewed her bread and butter gloomily, the down-drawn corner of her one-sided mouth unusually depressed. Miss Mehitable felt a wild desire to laugh. She wished she could keep Ben Barry out of her mind during this important interview. Her kind heart administered a little comfort. "You see, there isn't any lath and plaster to the cottage, but it's good and tight except in very bad weather," she said. "It's a wonder you don't get rheumatics yourself," vouchsafed Charlotte. "Nobody thinks of such a thing in that beautiful sun-soaked place," returned Miss Upton. "Sun-stroke did you say?" asked Mrs. Whipp, looking up quickly. "No." Miss Mehitable indulged in one frank laugh. "Sun-soaked." "Sounds more like water-logged to me from your description," said the other sourly, returning to her dinner. "I don't see why you go there." "For two reasons. First, because I love it better than any place on earth, and second, because it's good business. I do a better business there than I do here. You think it over, Charlotte, because I ought to let Nellie know." "Well, you can let Nellie know that I'm goin'," replied Mrs. Whipp crossly. "What sense is there in your takin' a girl to the port to go in swimmin' while you work?" "Nellie was a very good little helper," declared Miss Mehitable, again taking refuge in her teacup. When she set it down she continued: "If you think, Charlotte, that you can make up your mind to take the bitter with the sweet, the rain and the sun, the fog and the wind, why, come along; but it don't do a bit o' good to argue with Neptune. He'll stick his fork right through you if you do." Mrs. Whipp stared, but Miss Upton's eyes were twinkling so she suspected this was just one of her jokes. "I never was one to shirk," she declared curtly. "Then I can tell Nellie you want to go?"