“You can search me,” he replied, staring at her, as if fascinated by her wealth of figure.  “If I had seen you before, I have a remote suspicion that I should remember you.  I don’t think it would be easy to forget you.”

“You flatter me,” she said softly.

“Do I?  Well, I meant every word of it.  Will you pardon me for being a wee bit personal?  Are there many young ladies in these parts that are as—­as—­corpulent, or fat, or whatever you want to call it—­that is, are you any plumper than the average?”

“I have been told that I am.”

“Once more pardon me, but have you done anything for it?”

“For what?” she asked, considerably surprised.

“I wouldn’t have mentioned it, only I think I can give you some good tips.  I had a Cousin Flora who was troubled the same way.  About the time she went to Smith College she got kind of careless with herself, used to eat a lot of candy and never take any exercise, and she got to be an awful looking thing.  If you’ll cut out the starchy foods and drink nothing but Kissingen, and begin skipping the rope every day, you’ll be surprised how much of that you’ll take off in a little while.  At first you won’t be able to skip more than twenty-five or fifty times a day, but you keep at it and in a month you can do your five hundred.  Put on plenty of flannels and wear a sweater.  And I’ll show you a dandy exercise.  Put your heels together this way,”—­and he stood in front of her,—­“and try to touch the floor with your fingers—­so!”—­illustrating.  “You won’t be able to do it at first, but keep at it, and it’ll help a lot.  Then, if you will lie flat on your back every morning, and work your feet up and down——­”

She had listened, at first in utter amazement.  Now her timid coquettishness was giving way to anger.

“What are you trying to tell me?” she asked.

“It’s none of my business, but I thought you’d be glad to find out what’d take off about fifty pounds.”

“And is this why you came to see me?” she demanded.

“I didn’t come to see you.”

“My father said you were waiting and he sent me to you.”

“Sent you,” replied Mr. Pike in frank surprise.  “My dear girl, you may be good to your folks and your heart may be in the right place, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but father has got mixed in his dates.  I certainly didn’t come here to see you.”

As he was speaking Jeneka wriggled forward in her chair and then arose.  She stood before him, heaving perceptibly.

“Your manner is most insulting,” she declared.  She had expected to be showered with compliments, and here was this giggling stranger advising her to be thin!  She toddled over to the door and pushed a bell.  Then she turned upon the bewildered stranger and remarked coldly:  “Unless you have something further to communicate, you may consider this interview at an end.”