"Any man would have done it in my place, doctor," said Jimmy, grasping the big hand warmly. "Not any man, but some would. Andy and Larry, I make no doubt, and that wild buffalo, Dodo." Dodo didn't mind being called a wild buffalo by the doctor if only he was given the credit of courage at the same time, but Mrs. McLean objected. "Now, doctor," she said, "you mustn't call your guests ugly names. You know I won't permit it at all." "Don't scold him, Mrs. McLean," said Dodo. "I think it's better to be called a wild buffalo than a wild boar." "A bore is never wild, if that's the kind you mean," answered Mrs. McLean. "That's why they are bores, because they are so tame." "Mither, mither," put in the doctor, laughing, "how you go on. As if you'd like 'em any way but tame. She's a great talker, Mr. Lufton, as you'll perceive before the morning's half over, but she doesn't mean the half she says, like every other woman under the sun." Jimmy laughed. How delightful it was to him to be among these gay, simple-hearted people who found a good deal of enjoyment in life without the aid of things he had been accustomed to. Presently he heard Andy McLean's voice saying: "Miss Brown, Mr. Lufton," and turning quickly, he confronted a tall slender girl with very blue eyes and red-gold hair. Miss Brown smiled a heavenly smile and gave him her hand. "I'm glad to meet you," she said. "I've been hearing a great deal about you in the last few hours." The soft musical quality of her voice stirred Jimmy's soul. "It's like the harp in the orchestra. When a hand sweeps over the harp strings, you can hear it above all the trumpets and drums, it's so--so ineffably sweet, only there's never enough of it." All this Jimmy thought as he exchanged Molly's greetings. "Are you from the South?" he asked later when he found himself beside her at the breakfast table. "I'm from Kentucky," she answered promptly and proudly. "So am I," he almost shouted, and then they exchanged new glances of deeper interest and presently were plunged in a conversation about home. Jimmy forgot that Judy, his sponsor at Wellington, sat at his right hand and Molly was oblivious to Lawrence Upton on her left. "I suppose you never get any corn bread here?" Jimmy asked. "Not our kind," replied Molly. "What they have here is made of fine meal with sugar in it." Jimmy made a wry face. "Wouldn't you like to have some fried chicken with cream gravy?" he whispered. "And some candied sweet potatoes and corn pones and pear pickle," Molly broke in. "And hot biscuits. But what shall we finish off with, Miss Brown?" "Brandied peaches and ice cream and hickory-nut cake." Jimmy gave a delighted laugh. "That's a good old home dessert I used to get at Grandma's," he said. "At least the peaches and the ice cream were. She always had cup-cake with frosted icing." "Do you ever have kidney hash and waffles Sunday mornings, nowadays?" asked Molly.