was a woman, and perhaps Pinkney's wife, and knew you'd be putting your
foot in it by talking of that other woman. I supposed it was for fear of
that he denied knowing you."

"Well, when HE--this Rand--told me he had a twin-brother, he looked so
frightened that I knew he knew nothing of his brother's doings with that
woman, and I threw him off the scent. He's a good fellow, but awfully
green, and I didn't want to worry him with tales. I like him, and I
think Phemie does too."

"Nonsense! He's a conceited prig! Did you hear his sermon on the world
and its temptations? I wonder if he thought temptation had come up to
him in the person of us professionals out on a picnic. I think it was
positively rude."

"My dear woman, you're always seeing slights and insults. I tell you
he's taken a shine to Phemie; and he's as good as four seats and a
bouquet to that child next Wednesday evening, to say nothing of the
eclat of getting this St. Simeon--what do you call him?--Stalactites?"

"Stylites," suggested Mrs. Sol.

"Stylites, off from his pillar here. I'll have a paragraph in the paper,
that the hermit crabs of Table Mountain--"

"Don't be a fool, Sol!"

"The hermit twins of Table Mountain bespoke the chaste performance."

"One of them being the protector of the well-known Mornie