"That’s too bad! Why don’t you have Eades let ’em out,--you certainly have a swell pull with him." "You have just had Mr. Eades’s opinion from mama." "Who is your friend?" "Gusta." Dick’s face was suddenly swept with scarlet, and he started--looked up, then hastily raised his coffee-cup, drained its last drop, flung his napkin on his plate, and said: "Oh, that girl that used to work for us?" "Yes." "Well, mother’s right." Mrs. Ward looked her gratitude. "Of course, you can’t go." "I can’t?" He had risen from the table, and Elizabeth’s tone impressed him. "Look here," he said peremptorily. "You just can’t go there, that’s all there is about it!" "Why not?" "Because you can’t. It wouldn’t do, it wouldn’t be the thing; you ought to know that." "But why?" Elizabeth persisted. "I want a reason." "You don’t mean to say you seriously consider it?" asked Dick in real alarm. "Yes, I do." Dick suddenly grew excited, his eyes flamed, and he was very red. "Look here, Bess," he said. "You just can’t, that’s all." "Can’t I?" she said, and she gave a little laugh. It was not her usual pleasant laugh. "No, you can’t." He spoke more than insistently, he spoke angrily. He snatched out his thin gold watch and glanced at it. "I’ve not got time to discuss this thing. You just can’t go--that’s all there is to it." Elizabeth rose from the table calmly, went out of the room, and Dick, after a hesitant moment, ran after her. "Bess! Bess!" She stopped. "See here, Bess, you must not go there to see that girl. I’m surprised! She isn’t the sort, you understand! You don’t know what you’re doing. Now look here--wait a minute!" He caught her by the arm. "I tell you it’s not the thing, you mustn’t!" He was quite beside himself. "You seem greatly excited," she said. He made a great effort, controlled himself, and, still holding her, began to plead. "Please don’t go, Bess!" he said. "Please don’t!" "But why--_why_?" she insisted. "Because I say so." "Humph!" "Because I ask it. Please don’t; do it for me, this once. You’ll be sorry if you do. Please don’t go!" His eyes were full of the plea he was incoherently stammering. He was greatly moved, greatly agitated. "Why, Dick," she said, "what is the matter with you? You seem to take this trifle very much to heart. You seem to have some special interest, some deep reason. I wish you’d tell me what it is. Why shouldn’t I go to see poor Gusta? She’s in trouble--she was always good to me." There was a sudden strange wild expression in his face, his lips were slightly parted. The moments were flying, and he must be off. "Oh, Bess," he said, "for God’s sake, don’t go!" He implored her in his look, then snatching out his watch ran to the hall, seized his hat and top-coat, and went out, flinging on his coat as he ran, and leaving the door flying wide behind him. Elizabeth stood looking after him. When she turned, her mother was in the room.