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 ?" inquired George in the same tone Miss Curtis had used, as if it were a contemptible quality for a man to possess. Sally began to giggle, but Elise, turning fully to George and fixing her eyes on his, replied, clearly:

"He is the handsomest man I ever saw."

"How outrageous!" said George.

"How amusing!" said his mother.

"Rather an unusual situation," said his father, with another glance.

"Well," said George in a loud tone, rather modeled on Mr. Johns's own, "I hope, mother, you don't intend to allow it."

"To allow Mr. Bevans to be so handsome, George?" inquired his mother, mildly.

"To allow Sally to stay in such a place. You ought to take her away—you ought to warn Mr. Johns."

"My grandfather?" said Elise, innocently. "Oh, grandfather is crazy about Mr. Bevans. It was he who brought him up in his car yesterday. I don't know when I've seen him so nice to any younger man."

This piece of information was, as it was perhaps intended to be, the last straw. George was afraid of Mr. Johns, not only because he shouted and grunted, not only