"That's not the point!" he said heatedly. "It's for you two to decide, as well as her. Do you want me to go or to stay?"
Miss Isobel and Miss Enid, who had been assuring each other almost hourly that they could not stand that awful boy in the house another day, looked at each other intercedingly.
"It would be a great help if you could stay at least until mother learns to use her crutches," urged Miss Enid.
"Yes, and until we get some one we can trust to stay with us at night," added Miss Isobel.
"I'll stay as long as you like!" said Quin heartily; and he departed to make his peace with Madam.
From that time on Quin's status in the family became less anomalous. To be sure, he was still Mr. Randolph's private secretary, Madam's top sergeant, Miss Isobel's and Miss Enid's body-guard, and the household's general-utility man; but he was now something else in addition. Miss Isobel had discovered, quite by chance, that he was the grandson of Dr. Ezra Quinby, whose book "Christianizing China" had been one of the inspirations of her girlhood.
"And to think we considered asking him to eat in the pantry!" she exclaimed in horror to her sister.
"Well, I told you all along he was a gentleman by instinct," said Miss Enid.
To be sure, they were constantly shocked by his manners and his frank method of speech, but they were also exhilarated. He was like a disturbing but refreshing breeze that swept through their quiet, ordered lives. He talked about things and places they had never heard of or seen, and recounted his experiences with an enthusiasm that was contagious.