Alston wiped his mouth. 'I do not, ma'am. Down where we come from we have no liking for foreign taradiddles.'

Merciful heavens! thought Theo. What a boor! Fancy a man of education not speaking some French.

Ir£n£e du Pont had watched this little contretemps with amusement. He now struck in across the silenced table, relieving the embarrassment. 'I had fonny—how you say—experience zis morning. I was snipe shooting wiz Toussard over by ze river; we shoot all our powder, get no birds. But we are shamed to go i la maison wiz nossing. Sophie will make fon of us'. He bowed to his smiling wife. 'So we find leetle shop and buy more powder. We see some birds, we aim, we shoot'—he paused dramatically—'and both our guns explode à la fois. Boom! Pan! Boom! comme ça. All in leetle pieces!'

'La! sir,' cried Mrs. Jay, leaning forward, 'I don't think that funny. Did you not injure your hands?'

Du Pont shook his head. 'No, we drop quickly ze guns. But I have idea. I admire much your so marvelous country; only one sing is bad. You make bad powder. So I tell myself someone should make good powder, and why not us? Papa, Victor, and me. We will start a—a usine somewhere to make it.'

He looked around for approval, and Aaron said heartily: 'An excellent idea, sir. Let us drink a toast to the du Ponts and their powder mill'. Glasses were politely raised to lips, and the conversation became general again.

The meal wore on, until the servants removed remnants of the main course and bore in the sweets, fruits, and cheeses, a half-dozen puddings, and a huge salver of rapidly melting ice cream flavored with the vanilla beans that were so costly.

On the other side of Alston sat little Katie Brown, whose provocative dimples usually made havoc of masculine hearts. In desperation, Theo signaled her secretly to help out with the entertainment of the difficult young man between them, but Katie's response was only an expressive rolling of the eyes and a shrug. She had no time to waste on a lout who replied to her best sallies with a bored stare. 'Impossible,' Katie mouthed to Theo, who was in entire agreement. Still Aaron's eyes were on her, watching and commanding, and she redoubled her efforts, deciding to abandon subtlety.

'Do you not like us, Mr. Alston?' she asked sweetly. 'You have not smiled once since we sat at table. Are the victuals ill-cooked, or is the company not to your taste?'

Alston looked up from his plate, and she saw surprise in his heavy face. 'Why, the victuals are good, ma'am,' he said slowly, 'and the company pleasing enough. I do not smile unless I see something to smile at, and that is not often'. Obviously, thought Theo.