He had been busy for a few moments with the group when she exclaimedsomething to him, and he looked around from his abstraction. She sometimes washolding out toward him a chicken sandwich.

When his mind came back from wool gathering, he curtly declined theoffer, and, as an afterthought, bestowed upon her a whollymechanical smile, in recognition of a generosity not welcome.

"Why don't you ever eat luncheon?" she asked.