“‘Why, Sue!’ said Roswald, gently,—‘I never expected to see you cry for your dinner.’
“‘I’ll put all the things back in the basket if you say so,’ said Roswald, smiling.
“‘I don’t say any such thing,’ said Sue, lifting up her tearful face and kissing his cheek; and then she went round to her seat and sat down with her head in her hands. Roswald, in his turn, got up and went to her, and took hold of her hands.
“‘Come, Sue,—what’s the matter? that isn’t fair. Look here, my porridge is growing cold.’
“‘Why,—do _so_. You shouldn’t. It was too good of you.’
“Roswald gave a merry little bit of a laugh, and began to take off the covers and put them on the counter.
“‘Come, Sue,—look up; I want my porridge, and I am waiting for you. Where shall I get a knife and fork?—in the pantry in the back room?’
“Sue jumped up, wiping away her tears, and run for the knife and fork; and from that time, throughout the rest of the meal, her face was a constant region of smiles.
“‘A roast chicken!—Oh, Roswald!—How mother will like a piece of that! How good it smells!’
“‘She’s had her dinner,’ said Roswald, who was carving: ‘you must take a piece of it first. I ought in conscience to have had a separate dish for the potatoes, but my market-basket was resolved not to take it. Some salt, Sue?’
“Sue ran for another knife and fork, and then began upon her piece of chicken; and Roswald helped himself out of his dish and eat, glancing over now and then at her.
“‘You can’t think how good it is, Roswald, after eating porridge so long,’ said Sue, with a perfectly new colour of pleasure in her face.
“‘This is capital porridge!’ said Roswald. ‘I’ll trouble you for a piece of bread, Sue.’
“‘Why, Roswald!—are you eating nothing but porridge?’
“‘Yes, and I tell you I should like a piece of bread with it.’
“‘Ah, do take something else!’ said Sue, giving him the bread. ‘The porridge will keep till another time.’
“‘I don’t mean it shall, much of it,’ said Roswald. ‘It’s the best dinner I’ve had in a great while.’
“Sue laid down her knife and fork to laugh at him, though the doing so had very near made her cry again.
“‘I’d rather not. I’ll take a piece of pie with you presently.’
“‘I should think chicken was enough,’ said Sue; ‘you needn’t have brought me pie.’