ill, I hope?"

But he did not hear me. He had run half down the dining-hall toward the
slender young girl who was bringing us our supper. I had ordered rather
generously, for my friend had owned to a good appetite, and I was hungry
myself with waiting for him, so that the tray the girl carried was piled
up with heavy dishes. To my dismay I saw, rather than heard at that
distance, the Altrurian enter into a polite controversy with her, and
then, as if overcoming all her scruples by sheer strength of will, possess
himself of the tray and make off with it toward our table. The poor child
followed him, blushing to her hair; the head-waiter stood looking
helplessly on; the guests, who at that late hour were fortunately few,
were simply aghast at the scandal; the Altrurian alone seemed to think
his conduct the most natural thing in the world. He put the tray on the
side-table near us, and in spite of our waitress's protests insisted upon
arranging the little bird-bath dishes before our plates. Then at last he
sat down, and the girl, flushed and tremulous, left the room, as I could
not help suspecting, to have a good cry in the kitchen. She did not come
back, and the head-waiter, who was perhaps afraid to send another in her
place, looked after our few wants himself. He kept a sharp eye on my
friend, as if he were not quite sure he was safe, but the Altrurian
resumed the conversation with all that lightness of spirits which I
noticed in him after he helped the porter with the baggage. I did not
think it the moment to take him to task for what he had just done; I was
not even sure that it was the part of a host to do so at all, and between
the one doubt and the other I left the burden of talk to him.

"What a charming young creature!" he began. "I never saw anything prettier
than the way she had of refusing my help, absolutely without coquetry or
affectation of any kind. She is, as you said, a perfect lady, and she