"Tea?" Eleanor said, briefly. "Yes, indeed!" Edith said. She looked very pretty--cheeks glowing and brown hair flying about the rounded brim of a brown fur toque. Maurice, keeping an eye on her, was gently kind to his wife. "Head better, Nelly?" Then, having secured his tea, he drew Edith over to the window and they went on with some discussion which had paused as they entered the house. Eleanor, watching them, and making another cup of tea for Mrs. Houghton, spilled the boiling water on the tray and on her own hand. "My dear!" said Mrs. Houghton, "you have scalded yourself!" And, indeed, Eleanor whitened with the pain of her smarting, puffing fingers. But she said, her eyes fixed on Edith, "What _are_ they talking about?" Mrs. Houghton's look of surprise made her add: "Edith seems so interested. I just wondered...." She had caught a phrase or two: "I can take the spring course,--it's three months. I think our University Domestic Science Department is just every bit as good as any of the Eastern ones." "Where did you two meet each other?" Eleanor called, sharply. "Why, I told you," Edith said, coming over to the tea table; "I dragged him from his desk!" "Come, Edith, we must go," Mrs. Houghton said, rising. "Why don't you stay to dinner?" Maurice urged--but Eleanor was silent. "If you are in town next week, Skeezics, you've got to put up here. Understand? Tell her so, Eleanor!" Eleanor said nothing. Mrs. Houghton said she was afraid it wouldn't be convenient. Eleanor said nothing. "Of course you will come here!" Maurice said; he was sharply angry at his wife. In the momentary and embarrassing pause, the color flew into Edith's face, but she was elaborately indifferent. "Good-by, Eleanor; good-by, Maurice!" "I'm going to escort you to the hotel," Maurice said; and, over his shoulder to Eleanor: "I've got to rush off to St. Louis to-night, Eleanor. That Greenleaf business. Has Mrs. O'Brien brought my things home?"' "I'll see," she said, mechanically.... Nobody had much to say on that walk to the hotel; but when Maurice had left them, and the two ladies were in their room, Edith faced her mother: "What _is_ the matter?" "You mean with Eleanor? She has a headache, I suppose."