He broke off suddenly and stared into his coffee-cup. "I think he might go up and speak to mother, don't you, Isobel?" asked Miss Enid tentatively. Quin pushed back his chair and rose precipitately from the table, dragging the cloth away as he did so. "That's not the point!" he said heatedly. "It's for you two to decide, as well as her. Do you want me to go or to stay?" Miss Isobel and Miss Enid, who had been assuring each other almost hourly that they could not stand that awful boy in the house another day, looked at each other intercedingly. "It would be a great help if you could stay at least until mother learns to use her crutches," urged Miss Enid. "Yes, and until we get some one we can trust to stay with us at night," added Miss Isobel. "I'll stay as long as you like!" said Quin heartily; and he departed to make his peace with Madam. CHAPTER 12 From that time on Quin's status in the family became less anomalous. To be sure, he was still Mr. Randolph's private secretary, Madam's top sergeant, Miss Isobel's and Miss Enid's body-guard, and the household's general-utility man; but he was now something else in addition. Miss Isobel had discovered, quite by chance, that he was the grandson of Dr. Ezra Quinby, whose book "Christianizing China" had been one of the inspirations of her girlhood. "And to think we considered asking him to eat in the pantry!" she exclaimed in horror to her sister. "Well, I told you all along he was a gentleman by instinct," said Miss Enid. To be sure, they were constantly shocked by his manners and his frank method of speech, but they were also exhilarated. He was like a disturbing but refreshing breeze that swept through their quiet, ordered lives. He talked about things and places they had never heard of or seen, and recounted his experiences with an enthusiasm that was contagious. As for Quin, he found, to his surprise, that he was enjoying his new quarters quite as much as he had the old ones. Madam was a never-ending source of amusement and interest to him, and Miss Isobel and Miss Enid soon had each her individual appeal. He liked the swish of their silk petticoats, and the play of their slim white hands about the coffee-tray. He liked their super-feminine delicacies of speech and motion, and the flattering interest they began to take in all his affairs. Miss Isobel developed a palpitating concern for his spiritual welfare and invited him to go to church with her. She even introduced him to the minister with proud reference to his distinguished grandfather, and basked in the reflected glory.