Page:The Yellow Book - 13.djvu/271

Rh her; he indulged no roseate dreams in whose radiance she did not shine pre-eminent. Every boyish triumph was incomplete until her approval crowned it, and her rebuke could rob the proudest victory of its glory.

No boy ever lived who despised effeminate qualities in his sex more than Kit did, but whenever the service of Judy required it he could perform the offices of a maid with incredible delicacy.

He knew a dozen little secrets of her toilet, and took pleasure in seeing that she always performed them to the enhancement of her beauty and her comfort.

He had acquired the knack of arranging her veil to please her. He studied the weather to know what wraps she required. He buttoned her boots. If her head ached and she was tired, he brushed her hair with a soothing hand. And he took the fondest pride in carefully opening the fingers of her new gloves by gently blowing his warm breath into them before she put them on. This last was a special invention of his own which had found much favour in her eyes. He made her the trusted confidante of every secret of his heart, and her judgment on all subjects was as an oracle to him.

And Judy, on her part, paid back this wealth of homage and devotion in equal measure and greater; for Judy was Kit's fair young mother, and Kit was Judy's all.

Any serious difference of opinion between them was extremely rare, and when as in the case of Morgan the possibility of one arose, Kit knew no peace until, to quote himself, he had "had it out" with her.

"It will have to come to it," he announced to her one day.

"What is it this time, Comfort?" Whenever Kit appeared particularly troubled Judy called him Comfort. She knew that it

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