“Oh, I see,” she said more gently. “That’s hard luck.”

“It makes a good deal of a difference,” he said.

“I know.”

It had made a difference in her life when her father died.

She turned to her éclair; but, as she was raising the fork to her lips, she caught his eyes and put it down again.

41

“Look here,” she said; “you must eat something. You can’t get along without food. I’ve tried it.”

“You!” he exclaimed.

“Indeed, yes.”

“Dieting?”