He was thoroughly mystified, but obeyed her gesture and went to
the rocking-chair in the opposite corner, where he sat down, and,
with an expression of meek inquiry, awaited events.

Meanwhile, Alice prattled on: "It's really not a fault of mine,
being tardy. The shameful truth is I was trying to hurry papa.
He's incorrigible: he stays so late at his terrible old
factory--terrible new factory, I should say. I hope you don't
HATE us for making you dine with us in such fearful weather! I'm
nearly dying of the heat, myself, so you have a fellow-sufferer,
if that pleases you. Why is it we always bear things better if
we think other people have to stand them, too?" And she added,
with an excited laugh: "SILLY of us, don't you think?"

Gertrude had just made her entrance from the dining-room, bearing
a tray. She came slowly, with an air of resentment; and her
skirt still needed adjusting, while her lower jaw moved at
intervals, though not now upon any substance, but reminiscently,
of habit. She halted before Adams, facing him.

He looked plaintive. "What you want o' me?" he asked.

For response, she extended the tray toward him with a gesture of
indifference; but he still appeared to be puzzled. "What in the
world----?" he began, then caught his wife's eye, and had
presence of mind enough to take a damp and plastic sandwich from
the tray. "Well, I'll TRY one," he said, but a moment later, as
he fulfilled this promise, an expression of intense dislike came
upon his features, and he would have returned the sandwich to
Gertrude. However, as she had crossed the room to Mrs. Adams he