"Dear me," said Mrs. Falkener, "how very light minded."
"It shocked me—to have him take it like that. And he would not hear of dismissing her. He intends merely to reprove her, so he says. But what reproof is possible? And the most alarming feature of the whole situation is that, to my opinion, he is looking forward to the interview."
"The woman must be sent out of the house immediately," said Mrs. Falkener with decision. "I wonder if higher wages would tempt her?"
"I see your idea," answered Tucker. "You think I ought to offer a position. I would do more than that to save Burt."
"A position as cook, you mean?"
"Why, Mrs. Falkener, what else could I mean?"
"Oh, nothing, Solon, I only thought—"
The friends were still explaining away the little misunderstanding when Crane came down, and dinner was announced.
Mrs. Falkener, with of course the heartiest wish to criticize, was forced to admit the food was perfection. The soup so clear and strong, the fried fish so dry and tender, even the cheese soufflé, for which she had waited most hopefully, turned out to be beautifully light and fluffy. Having come to curse she was obliged to bless; and her praise was delightful to Crane.
"Yes, isn't she a wonder?" he kept saying. "Wasn't it great luck to find any one like that in a place such as this? Tuck, here, keeps trying to poison my mind against her, but I wouldn't part with a cook like that even if she were a Messalina."