because she is so thin."

"But the thing was to cure fat people!"

"Precisely." Esther laughed a little low laugh, at which her
father's eyes shone; "but you see she told Maria to exactly reverse
the advice and eat everything that was injurious to stout people,
and it would be just right for her."

"I perceive," said Armorer, dryly; "very ingenious and feminine scheme.
But who is Cardigan?"

"Shuey Cardigan? He is the trainer. He is a fireman in a
furniture shop, now; but he used to be the boxing teacher for
some Harvard men; and he was a distinguished pugilist, once.
He said to me, modestly, 'I don't suppose you will have seen my name
in the _Police Gazette_, miss?' But he really is a very sober,
decent man, notwithstanding."

"Your Aunt Meg always was picking up queer birds! Pray, who introduced
this decent pugilist?"

Esther was getting into the carriage; her face was turned from him,
but he could see the pink deepen in her ear and the oval of her cheek.
She answered that it was a friend of theirs, Mr. Lossing. As if
the name had struck them both dumb, neither spoke for a few moments.
Armorer bit a sigh in two. "Essie," said he, "I guess it is no use
to side-track the subject. You know why I came here, don't you?"

"Aunt Meg told me what she wrote to you."