"Damn Fenton!" he returned, with coarse brutality. "He's a cad and a snob; he says Herman ought to have made the _America_, and he abuses my model without ever having seen it." The remark of Fenton's which had given offence to Stanton had been made at the club in comment upon a photograph of the model which somebody was showing. "The only capitol thing about it," Fenton had said, "is the headgear." The remark was severe rather than witty, and it was its severity which had given it wings to bear it to the sculptor's ears. "I don't like Mr. Fenton very well," Milly admitted, "but Mrs. Fenton is perfectly lovely; she's been awfully good to me." By way of reply the sculptor, with a somewhat ponderous air, unbuttoned his coat and produced a red leather pocket-book. This he opened, took out a handful of bills, and proceeded to count them with great deliberation. Melissa watched while he counted out a sum which seemed to have been fixed in his mind. He smoothed the package of bills in his hand, then he glanced up at her furtively as if to ascertain whether she knew how much he had laid out. She involuntarily averted her glance. Instantly Orin gathered up several of the bills quickly, conveying them out of sight with a guilty air as if he were purloining them. Then he held the remainder toward his companion. "There," he said, "I should have kept my promise if you hadn't hinted by speaking of Fenton. Of course you understand that I can't give you anything very tremendous, but there's a hundred and fifty dollars." Melissa flushed and drew back. "I had no idea of hinting," was her reply. "Of course I thank you very much, but you ought to give the money to John, not to me." "No," Orin insisted, "you helped me with Mrs. Fenton, and John might as well know that I wouldn't put this money into a hole just to please him. I know John. He'll set more by you if the money comes through you." "But I don't believe," protested she, "that what I said to Mrs. Fenton really made any difference." But in Orin's abounding good nature her disclaimer passed unheeded. He pressed the money upon her, and went away full of the consciousness of having exercised a noble philanthropy.