For answer, Theron let Sister Soulsby help him again to ham and eggs.  He talked exclusively to Sister Soulsby, or rather invited her by his manner to talk to him, and listened and watched her with indolent content.  There was a sort of happy and purified languor in his physical and mental being, which needed and appreciated just this—­to sit next a bright and attractive woman at a good breakfast, and be ministered to by her sprightly conversation, by the flash of her informing and inspiring eyes, and the nameless sense of support and repose which her near proximity exhaled.  He felt himself figuratively leaning against Sister Soulsby’s buoyant personality, and resting.

Brother Soulsby, like the intelligent creature he was, ate his breakfast in peace; but Alice would interpose remarks from time to time.  Theron was conscious of a certain annoyance at this, and knew that he was showing it by an exaggerated display of interest in everything Sister Soulsby said, and persisted in it.  There trembled in the background of his thoughts ever and again the recollection of a grievance against his wife—­an offence which she had committed—­but he put it aside as something to be grappled and dealt with when he felt again like taking up the serious and disagreeable things of life.  For the moment, he desired only to be amused by Sister Soulsby.  Her casual mention of the fact that she and her husband were taking their departure that very day, appealed to him as an added reason for devoting his entire attention to her.

“You mustn’t forget that famous talking-to you threatened me with—­that ‘regular hoeing-over,’ you know,” he reminded her, when he found himself alone with her after breakfast.  He smiled as he spoke, in frank enjoyment of the prospect.

Sister Soulsby nodded, and aided with a roll of her eyes the effect of mock-menace in her uplifted forefinger.  “Oh, never fear,” she cried.  “You’ll catch it hot and strong.  But that’ll keep till afternoon.  Tell me, do you feel strong enough to go in next door and attend the trustees’ meeting this forenoon?  It’s rather important that you should be there, if you can spur yourself up to it.  By the way, you haven’t asked what happened at the Quarterly Conference yesterday.”

Theron sighed, and made a little grimace of repugnance.  “If you knew how little I cared!” he said.  “I did hope you’d forget all about mentioning that—­and everything else connected with—­the next door.  You talk so much more interestingly about other things.”

“Here’s gratitude for you!” exclaimed Sister Soulsby, with a gay simulation of despair.  “Why, man alive, do you know what I’ve done for you?  I got around on the Presiding Elder’s blind side, I captured old Pierce, I wound Winch right around my little finger, I worked two or three of the class-leaders—­all on your account.  The result was you went through as if you’d had your ears pinned back, and been greased all over.  You’ve got an extra hundred dollars added to your salary; do you hear?  On the sixth question of the order of business the Elder ruled that the recommendation of the last conference’s estimating committee could be revised (between ourselves he was wrong, but that doesn’t matter), and so you’re in clover.  And very friendly things were said about you, too.”