He smiled at her patiently, and Ward laughed outright.

“You mean on Miss Field’s account, Mother?”

Madame Carter was outraged at this outspokenness; she had supposed herself somewhat obscure.

“If I do, my dear, it is a feeling that any woman would share with me, although possibly men—­as the less delicate—­”

“Oh, shucks, Granny!” Ward said, affectionately.  “Where did you ever get that line of dope?”

“Never mind, Ward,” his father interrupted in turn.  “We needn’t discuss that now.  We’ll be delighted for every hour you can spend with us, Mother, whether it’s for Miss Field’s sake or ours.  She’ll take care of us all, and herself into the bargain, I’m sure of that.  Now, Miss Field, about your check book; I’ve arranged—–­”

“The world, my dear, is less blind than you imagine!” his mother reminded him pleasantly, gathering her draperies for departure.

“Well, about your checks,” Richard said, with his indulgent smile, when she was gone.  “Where were we?”

“I have never respected and admired and been so grateful to any human being as I am to you,” thought Harriet.  “I think you are the finest and the strongest man I ever saw in my life!” Aloud she said, “I can send Bottomley and his wife, and one or two of the girls down to-day, if you think best.  Then he can telephone me how things go.”

Nina interposed an objection on the score of the tennis tournament at the club, was overruled, and departed in her turn to discover, as Harriet tactfully suggested, the condition of her bathing suit.  Ward had already gone to do some necessary telephoning, so that Harriet and her employer were alone.

“Now, Miss Field,” Richard said, when various details of management were delegated, “you understand that you are in charge from now on.  My mother will—­well, you know how to handle her!  She is old—­enjoys her little bit of mischief sometimes!  Anything unusual you can refer to me; I shall be there every week, anyway.”

He paused, and ruffled the scattered papers that were on the flat-topped desk before him.  Harriet watched him anxiously.  She thought he looked tired and old, and her heart ached at the troubled attempt he was making to simplify the tragedy for them all.  He was not handsome, she reflected, but surely there had never been keener or pleasanter gray eyes, and a mouth so strong when it was in repose, so honest when it smiled.  Not like Ward’s ready and incessant laughter, not like Royal Blondin’s carefully calculated amusement.

Reaching this point in her thought, facing him with her whole beautiful face alive with emotion and interest, Harriet smiled herself, involuntarily and faintly.  It was a smile of almost daughterly sympathy and comradeship, friendly and innocent, and wholly irresistible.  As usual, her masses of hair were trimly pinned and braided, but stray little golden feathers had loosened about the soft olive forehead, and the neck of her thin white blouse was open, showing the straight column of her young throat; the effect was unstudied and youthful, almost childishly engaging and fresh.