"The Greeks didn't know so much," interjected Clytie.

"Oh, didn't they, though!" cried Adrian, sending a glance of thanks to
counteract his contradiction. "They _finished_ things. The temple wasn't
complete till they had swept all the marble chips off the back stoop, and
had kind of curry-combed down the front yard, and had----"

"'Sh,'sh!" said Medora. Abner looked about, more puzzled than offended.
"Let's have some music, before our breasts get too savage," said the
girl, starting up.

Bond followed with the rest. "I'll stick to my regular field," he said to
Clytie, as he thrust his crumpled-up manuscript into his pocket.
"Griffins, gorgons, hydras, chimeras dire,--but no more cows. I was never
meant for a veritist."

"Samson is pulling down the temple," observed Clytie. "Crash goes the
first pillar. Who will be next?"

"He'll be caught in the wreck," said Bond, in a shattered voice. "Just
watch and see."




XI

Medora, long before Abner had learned to work the pedals of the pianola
and to wrench any expression from its stops, had banished most of her