guest here it's quite the same as if she were my guest at home."

"I don't like you to have such a guest," said Mrs. Green. "I don't see
what claim she has upon your hospitality."

"She has a double claim upon it," Grace answered, with a flush. "She is
in sickness and in trouble. I don't see how she could have a better
claim. Even if she were quite well I should consider the way she had been
treated by her husband sufficient, and I should want to do everything I
could for her."

"I should want her to behave herself," said Mrs. Breen dryly.

"How behave herself? What do you mean?" demanded Grace, with guilty heat.

"You know what I mean, Grace. A woman in her position ought to be more
circumspect than any other woman, if she wants people to believe that her
husband treated her badly."

"We ought n't to blame her for trying to forget her troubles. It's
essential to her recovery for her to be as cheerful as she can be. I know
that she's impulsive, and she's free in her manners with strangers; but I
suppose that's her Westernism. She's almost distracted. She was crying
half the night, with her troubles, and kept Bella and me both awake."

"Is Bella with her now?"

"No," Grace admitted. "Jane's getting her ready to go down with us.
Louise is talking with a gentleman who came over on the steamer with her;
he's camping on the beach near here. I didn't wait to hear particulars."