I'm satisfied if the woman 'Abbie' is respectable, and gives me enough to eat." The young man had accepted Cornelia's tender of a slice of beef, and seemed fully equal to doing it again.
"The 'woman Abbie' respectable, sir!" exclaimed the professor in half-muzzled ire; but he checked himself suddenly, and tried to be contented with shoving his plate, tumbler, and tea-cup, to and fro before him.

"I could not have recommended you to a better person," he added presently, evidently putting a restraint upon himself.

"I have the highest--I hold her in very high estimation, sir." Bressant nodded, and presently took some more of the beef.
"Have you seen Abbie yet, Mr.Bressant ?" inquired Cornelia in a timid tone, which, however, was deprived of all melody by the effort to suit it to the young man's ears.

But it was necessary to say something.
"Oh, no!" he replied, smiling at her in the pure good-nature of physical complacency, and noticing for the first time that she was an agreeable spectacle.

He judged absolutely and primitively, never having had that experience of women which might have enabled him to make comparison the base of his opinion.