"Oh, no, dear. My place is downstairs, with you--unless--you don't want me there." He crossed the room also and stood before her, his hands thrust into his pockets. "This is your room," he repeated. "It's easy enough to recognize it. It looks just like you. I've been uncomfortable about you downstairs, whenever I had to leave you. You'll be safe here, with every window wide open." She looked up at him, mutely smiling, but something in her eyes told him that all was not yet said. Red Pepper leaned still lower and kissed her. "It will be easy enough to have an extension of the telephone brought up here," he added--and found her arms about his neck. But she shook her head. "Don't settle it so quickly," she urged. "You said there was another guest-room," he reminded her presently. "The bachelor's room. Is it next door?" They went together to look at the bachelor's room. Burns surveyed it with satisfaction. "The jolliest room for the purpose I ever saw," he confessed. "And I know the bachelor who will sleep in it. He's downstairs now, in the small room out of ours." "Bob? Why, Red--" "We'll have a door cut through. The telephones shall be in there, then they won't disturb you. They won't bother Bob a minute. And when I come in at 2 a.m. I can slip in here, shove the boy over against the wall, and be asleep in two minutes." "Red! All my preparations for the bachelor! The desk,--the reading-light by the bed--" "They suit me admirably. I never saw a better arrangement. The two rooms together make a perfect suite--when the door is cut through." "And where will you put our guests? There's only one more room on this floor, of any size." "Let's go and see." Catching up a brass candlestick from the bachelor's desk, Burns lit it and proceeded to explore, Ellen following. There were dancing lights in her eyes as she watched him. "Here's your fourth room," said he, throwing open a door at the back of the hall. "This box? It can't be made a really comfortable room, even if I do my best with it. Your bachelor will not stay long." "Best not make him too comfortable. Nobody wants him to stay long." And Red Pepper closed the door again, with an air of having settled the matter to his entire satisfaction. "Besides," he added, "if he's really a desirable chap, and we want him around more than a day or two, he can bunk in my old room downstairs. When he's not there I'll use it for an annex to my offices. Somebody's always needing to be put to bed for an hour or two. Amy Mathewson will revel in that extra space. Her long suit is making people comfortable, and smoothing the upper sheet under their chins." "Redfield Pepper, please consider this carefully," said his wife, as they returned to the gray-and-rose room. "Remember how long you have had that downstairs room,--you are attached to it, perhaps, more than you think. You have been a bachelor yourself a good while--"