spellsof
a
southern
spring
.
“
Jolly
weather
!
”
said
Roger
,
looking
about
him
.
“
And
a
very
nice
afternoon
.
How
long
are
you
staying
here
,
Uncle
Archie
?
”
“
I
ought
to
be
off
at
the
end
of
the
week
;
and
of
course
you
want
to
get
back
to
New
York
?
I
say
,
you
seemed
to
be
getting
on
with
that
young
lady
?
”
The
General
turned
a
rather
troubled
eye
upon
his
companion
.
“
She
was
n't
bad
fun
,
”
said
the
young
man
graciously
;
“
but
rather
an
odd
little
thing
!
We
quarrelled
about
every
conceivable
subject
.
And
it
's
queer
how
much
that
kind
of
girl
seems
to
go
about
in
America
.
She
goes
everywhere
and
knows
everything
.
I
wonder
how
she
manages
it
.
”
“
What
kind
of
girl
do
you
suppose
she
is
?
”
asked
the
General
,
stopping
suddenly
in
the
middle
of
Lafayette
Square
.
“
She
told
me
she
taught
singing
,
”
said
Roger
,
in
a
puzzled
voice
,
“
to
a
class
of
girls
in
New
York
.
”
The
General
laughed
.
“
She
seems
to
have
made
a
fool
of
you
,
my
dear
boy
.
She
is
one
of
the
great
heiresses
of
America
.
”
Roger
's
face
expressed
a
proper
astonishment
.
“
Oh
!
that
's
it
,
is
it
?
I
thought
once
or
twice
there
was
something
fishy
—
she
was
trying
it
on
.
Who
told
you
?
”
The
General
retailed
his
information
.
Miss
Daphne
Floyd
was
the
orphan
daughter
of
an
enormously
rich
and
now
deceased
lumber-king
,
of
the
State
of
Illinois
.
He
had
made
vast
sums
by
lumbering
,
and
then
invested
in
real
estate
in
Chicago
and
Buffalo
,
not
to
speak
of
a
railway
or
two
,
and
had
finally
left
his
daughter
and
only
child
in
possession
of
a
fortune
generally
estimated
at
more
than
a
million
sterling
.
The
money
was
now
entirely
in
the
girl
's
power
.
Her
trustees
had
been
sent
about
their
business
,
though
Miss
Floyd
was
pleased
occasionally
to
consult
them
.
Mrs.
Phillips
,
her
chaperon
,
had
not
much
influence
with
her
;
and
it
was
supposed
that
Mrs.
Verrier
advised
her
more
than
anyone
else
.
“
Good
heavens
!
”
was
all
that
young
Barnes
could
find
to
say
when
the
story
was
told
.
He
walked
on
absently
,
flourishing
his
stick
,
his
face
working
under
the
stress
of
amused
meditation
.
At
last
he
brought
out
:
“
You
know
,
Uncle
Archie
,
if
you
'd
heard
some
of
the
things
Miss
Floyd
was
saying
to
me
,
your
hair
would
have
stood
on
end
.
”
The
General
raised
his
shoulders
.
“
I
dare
say
.
I
'm
too
old-fashioned
for
America
.
The
sooner
I
clear
out
the
better
.
Their
newspapers
make
me
sick
;
I
hate
the
hotels
—
I
hate
the
cooking
;
and
there
is
n't
a
nation
in
Europe
I
do
n't
feel
myself
more
at
home
with
.
”
Roger
laughed
his
clear
,
good-tempered
laugh
.
“
Oh
!
I
do
n't
feel
that
way
at
all
.
I
get
on
with
them
capitally
.
They
're
a
magnificent
people
.
And
,
as
to
Miss
Floyd
,
I
did
n't
mean
anything
bad
,
of
course
.
Only
the
ideas
some
of
the
girls
here
have
,
and
the
way
they
discuss
them
—
well
,
it
beats
me
!
”
“
What
sort
of
ideas
?
”
Roger
's
handsome
brow
puckered
in
the
effort
to
explain
.
“
They
do
n't
think
anything
's
settled
,
you
know
,
as
we
do
at
home
.
Miss
Floyd
does
n't
.
They
think
they
've
got
to
settle
a
lot
of
things
that
English
girls
do
n't
trouble
about
because
they
're
just
told
to
do
'
em
,
or
not
to
do
'
em
,
by
the
people
that
look
after
them
!
”
“
‘Everything
hatched
over
again
,
and
hatched
different
,
’
”
said
the
General
,
who
was
an
admirer
of
George
Eliot
;
“
that
's
what
they
'd
like
,
eh
?
Pooh
!
That
's
when
they
're
young
.
They
quiet
down
,
like
all
the
rest
of
the
world
.
”
Barnes
shook
his
head
.
“
But
they
are
hatching
it
over
again
.
You
meet
people
here
in
society
you
could
n't
meet
at
home
.
And
it
's
all
right
.
The
law
backs
them
up
.
”
“
You
're
talking
about
divorce
!
”
said
the
General
.
“
Aye
!
it
's
astounding
!
The
tales
one
hears
in
the
smoking-room
after
dinner
!
In
Wyoming
,
apparently
,
six
months
'
residence
,
and
there
you
are
.
You
prove
a
little
cruelty
,
the
husband
makes
everything
perfectly
easy
,
you
say
a
civil
good-bye
,
and
the
thing
's
done
.
Well
,
they
'll
pay
for
it
,
my
dear
Roger
—
they
'll
pay
for
it
.
Nobody
ever
yet
trifled
with
the
marriage
law
with
impunity
.
”
The
energy
of
the
old
man
's
bearing
became
him
.
Through
Roger
's
mind
the
thought
flashed
:
“
Poor
dear
Uncle
Archie
!
If
he
'd
been
a
New
Yorker
he
'd
never
have
put
up
with
Aunt
Lavinia
for
thirty
years
!
”
They
turned
into
their
hotel
,
and
ordered
dinner
in
an
hour
's
time
.
Roger
found
some
English
letters
waiting
for
him
,
and
carried
them
off
to
his
room
.
He
opened
his
mother
's
first
.
Lady
Barnes
wrote
a
large
and
straggling
hand
,
which
required
many
sheets
and
much
postage
.
It
might
have
been
observed
that
her
son
looked
at
the
sheets
for
a
minute
,
with
a
certain
distaste
,
before
he
began
upon
them
.
Yet
he
was
deeply
attached
to
his
mother
,
and
it
was
from
her
letters
week
by
week
that
he
took
his
marching
orders
.
If
she
only
would
n't
ride
her
ideas
quite
so
hard
;
if
she
would
sometimes
leave
him
alone
to
act
for
himself
!
Here
it
was
again
—
the
old
story
:
“
Do
n't
suppose
I
put
these
things
before
you
on
my
account
.
No
,
indeed
;
what
does
it
matter
what
happens
to
me
?
It
is
when
I
think
that
you
may
have
to
spend
your
whole
life
as
a
clerk
in
a
bank
,
unless
you
rouse
yourself
now
—
(
for
you
know
,
my
dear
Roger
,
though
you
have
very
good
wits
,
you
're
not
as
frightfully
clever
as
people
have
to
be
nowadays
)
—
that
I
begin
to
despair
.
But
that
is
entirely
in
your
own
hands
.
You
have
what
is
far
more
valuable
than
cleverness
—
you
have
a
delightful
disposition
,
and
you
are
one
of
the
handsomest
of
men
.
There
!
of
course
,
I
know
you
would
n't
let
me
say
it
to
you
in
your
presence
;
but
it
's
true
all
the
same
.
Any
girl
should
be
proud
to
marry
you
.
There
are
plenty
of
rich
girls
in
America
;
and
if
you
play
your
cards
properly
you
will
make
her
and
yourself
happy
.
The
grammar
of
that
is
not
quite
right
,
but
you
understand
me
.
Find
a
nice
girl
—
of
course
a
nice
girl
—
with
a
fortune
large
enough
to
put
you
back
in
your
proper
sphere
;
and
it
does
n't
matter
about
me
.
You
will
pay
my
rent
,
I
dare
say
,
and
help
me
through
when
I
want
it
;
but
that
's
nothing
.
The
point
is
,
that
I
cannot
submit
to
your
career
being
spoilt
through
your
poor
father
's
mad
imprudence
.
You
must
retrieve
yourself
—
you
must
.
Nobody
is
anything
nowadays
in
the
world
without
money
;
you
know
that
as
well
as
I
do
.
And
besides
,
there
is
another
reason
.
You
have
got
to
forget
the
affair
of
last
spring
,
to
put
it
entirely
behind
you
,
to
show
that
horrid
woman
who
threw
you
over
that
you
will
make
your
life
a
success
in
spite
of
her
.
Rouse
yourself
,
my
dear
Roger
,
and
do
your
best
.
I
hope
by
now
you
have
forwarded
all
my
introductions
?
You
have
your
opportunity
,
and
I
must
say
you
will
be
a
great
fool
if
you
do
n't
use
it
.
Do
use
it
my
dear
boy
,
for
my
sake
,
I
am
a
very
unhappy
woman
;
but
you
might
,
if
you
would
,
bring
back
a
little
brightness
to
my
life
.
”
After
he
had
read
the
letter
,
young
Barnes
sat
for
some
time
in
a
brown
study
on
the
edge
of
his
bed
.
The
letter
contained
only
one
more
repetition
of
counsels
that
had
been
dinned
into
his
ears
for
months
—
almost
ever
since
the
financial
crash
which
had
followed
his
father
's
death
,
and
the
crash
of
another
sort
,
concerning
himself
,
which
had
come
so
quick
upon
it
.
His
thoughts
returned
,
as
they
always
did
at
some
hour
of
the
day
or
night
,
to
the
“
horrid
woman
.
”
Yes
,
that
had
hit
him
hard
;
the
lad
's
heart
still
throbbed
with
bitterness
as
he
thought
of
it
.
He
had
never
felt
anything
so
much
;
he
did
n't
believe
he
should
ever
mind
anything
so
much
again
.
“
I
'm
not
one
of
your
sentimental
sort
,
”
he
thought
,
half
congratulating
himself
,
half
in
self-contempt
.
But
he
could
not
get
her
out
of
his
head
;
he
wondered
if
he
ever
should
.
And
it
had
gone
pretty
far
too
.
By
Jove
!
that
night
in
the
orchard
!
—
when
she
had
kissed
him
and
thrown
her
arms
round
his
neck
!
And
then
to
write
him
that
letter
when
things
were
at
their
worst
.
She
might
have
done
the
thing
decently
.
Have
treated
a
fellow
kindly
at
least
.
Well
,
of
course
,
it
was
all
done
with
.
Yes
,
it
was
.
Done
with
!
He
got
up
and
began
to
pace
his
small
room
,
his
hands
in
his
pockets
,
thinking
of
the
night
in
the
orchard
.
Then
gradually
the
smart
lessened
,
and
his
thoughts
passed
away
to
other
things
.
That
little
Yankee
girl
had
really
made
good
sport
all
the
way
home
.
He
had
not
been
dull
for
a
moment
;
she
had
teased
and
provoked
him
so
.
Her
eyes
,
too
,
were
wonderfully
pretty
,
and
her
small
,
pointed
chin
,
and
her
witch-like
imperious
ways
.
Was
it
her
money
,
the
sense
that
she
could
do
as
she
liked
with
most
people
,
that
made
her
so
domineering
and
masterful
?
Very
likely
.
On
the
journey
he
had
put
it
down
just
to
a
natural
and
very
surprising
impudence
.
That
was
when
he
believed
that
she
was
a
teacher
,
earning
her
bread
.
But
the
impudence
had
not
prevented
him
from
finding
it
much
more
amusing
to
talk
to
her
than
to
anybody
else
.
And
,
on
the
whole
,
he
thought
she
had
not
disliked
him
,
though
she
had
said
the
rudest
things
to
him
,
and
he
had
retaliated
.
She
had
asked
him
,
indeed
,
to
join
them
in
an
excursion
the
following
day
,
and
to
tea
at
the
Country
Club
.
He
had
meant
,
if
possible
,
to
go
back
to
New
York
on
the
morrow
.
But
perhaps
a
day
or
two
longer
—
So
she
had
a
million
—
the
little
sprite
?
She
was
and
would
be
a
handful
!
—
with
a
fortune
or
without
it
.
And
possessed
also
of
the
most
extraordinary
opinions
.
But
he
thought
he
would
go
on
the
excursion
,
and
to
the
Country
Club
.
He
began
to
fold
his
mother
's
letter
,
and
put
it
back
into
its
envelope
,
while
a
slight
flush
mounted
in
his
cheeks
,
and
the
young
mouth
that
was
still
so
boyish
and
candid
took
a
stiffer
line
.
CHAPTER
III
“
IS
Miss
Floyd
at
home
?
”
The
questioner
was
Mrs.
Verrier
,
who
had
just
alighted
from
her
carriage
at
the
door
of
the
house
in
Columbia
Avenue
inhabited
by
Miss
Floyd
and
her
chaperon
.
The
maid
replied
that
Miss
Floyd
had
not
yet
returned
,
but
had
left
a
message
begging
Mrs.
Verrier
to
wait
for
her
.
The
visitor
was
accordingly
ushered
to
the
drawing-room
on
the
first
floor
.
This
room
,
the
staircase
,
the
maid
,
all
bore
witness
to
Miss
Floyd
's
simplicity
—
like
the
Romney
dress
of
Mount
Vernon
.
The
colour
of
the
walls
and
the
hangings
,
the
lines
of
the
furniture
,
were
all
subdued
,
even
a
little
austere
.
Quiet
greens
and
blues
,
mingled
with
white
,
showed
the
artistic
mind
;
the
chairs
and
sofas
were
a
trifle
stiff
and
straight-legged
;
the
electric
fittings
were
of
a
Georgian
plainness
to
match
the
Colonial
architecture
of
the
house
;
the
beautiful
self-coloured
carpet
was
indeed
Persian
and
costly
,
but
it
betrayed
its
costliness
only
to
the
expert
.
Altogether
,
the
room
,
one
would
have
said
,
of
any
bourse
moyenne
with
an
eye
for
beauty
.
Fine
photographs
also
,
of
Italian
and
Dutch
pictures
,
suggested
travel
,
and
struck
the
cultivated
cosmopolitan
note
.
Mrs.
Verrier
looked
round
it
with
a
smile
.
It
was
all
as
unpretending
as
the
maid
who
ushered
her
upstairs
.
Daphne
would
have
no
men-servants
in
her
employ
.
What
did
two
ladies
want
with
them
,
in
a
democratic
country
?
But
Mrs.
Verrier
happened
to
know
that
Daphne
's
maid-servants
were
just
as
costly
in
their
degree
as
the
drawing-room
carpet
.
Chosen
for
her
in
London
with
great
care
,
attracted
to
Washington
by
enormous
wages
,
these
numerous
damsels
played
their
part
in
the
general
“
simplicity
”
effect
;
but
on
the
whole
Mrs.
Verrier
believed
that
Daphne
's
household
was
rather
more
expensive
than
that
of
other
rich
people
who
employed
men
.
She
walked
through
the
room
,
looking
absently
at
the
various
photographs
and
engravings
,
till
her
attention
was
excited
by
an
easel
and
a
picture
upon
it
in
the
back
drawing-room
.
She
went
up
to
it
with
a
muttered
exclamation
.
“
So
she
bought
it
!
Daphne
's
amazing
!
”
For
what
she
saw
before
her
was
a
masterpiece
—
an
excessively
costly
masterpiece
—
of
the
Florentine
school
,
smuggled
out
of
Italy
,
to
the
wrath
of
the
Italian
Government
,
some
six
months
before
this
date
,
and
since
then
lost
to
general
knowledge
.
Rumour
had
given
it
first
to
a
well-known
collection
at
Boston
;
then
to
another
at
Philadelphia
;
yet
here
it
was
in
the
possession
of
a
girl
of
two-and-twenty
of
whom
the
great
world
was
just
—
but
only
just
—
beginning
to
talk
.
“
How
like
Daphne
!
”
thought
her
friend
,
with
malice
.
The
“
simple
”
room
,
and
the
priceless
picture
carelessly
placed
in
a
corner
of
it
,
lest
any
one
should
really
suppose
that
Daphne
Floyd
was
an
ordinary
mortal
.
Mrs.
Verrier
sat
down
at
last
in
a
chair
fronting
the
picture
and
let
herself
fall
into
a
reverie
.
On
this
occasion
she
was
dressed
in
black
.
The
lace
strings
of
a
hat
crowned
with
black
ostrich
feathers
were
fastened
under
her
chin
by
a
diamond
that
sparkled
in
the
dim
greenish
light
of
the
drawing-room
;
the
feathers
of
the
hat
were
unusually
large
and
drooping
;
they
curled
heavily
round
the
thin
neck
and
long
,
hollow-eyed
face
,
so
that
its
ivory
whiteness
,
its
fatigue
,
its
fretful
beauty
,
were
framed
in
and
emphasised
by
them
;
her
bloodless
hands
lay
upon
her
lap
,
and
the
folds
of
the
sweeping
dress
drawn
round
her
showed
her
slenderness
,
or
rather
her
emaciation
.
Two
years
before
this
date
Madeleine
Verrier
had
been
a
great
beauty
,
and
she
had
never
yet
reconciled
herself
to
physical
losses
which
were
but
the
outward
and
visible
sign
of
losses
“
far
more
deeply
interfused
.
”
As
she
sat
apparently
absorbed
in
thought
before
the
picture
,
she
moved
,
half
consciously
,
so
that
she
could
no
longer
see
herself
in
a
mirror
opposite
.
Yet
her
thoughts
were
in
truth
much
engaged
with
Daphne
and
Daphne
's
proceedings
.
It
was
now
nearly
three
weeks
since
Roger
Barnes
had
appeared
on
the
horizon
.
General
Hobson
had
twice
postponed
his
departure
for
England
,
and
was
still
“
enduring
hardness
”
in
a
Washington
hotel
.
Why
his
nephew
should
not
be
allowed
to
manage
his
courtship
,
if
it
was
a
courtship
,
for
himself
,
Mrs.
Verrier
did
not
understand
.
There
was
no
love
lost
between
herself
and
the
General
,
and
she
made
much
mock
of
him
in
her
talks
with
Daphne
.
However
,
there
he
was
;
and
she
could
only
suppose
that
he
took
the
situation
seriously
and
felt
bound
to
watch
it
in
the
interests
of
the
young
man
's
absent
mother
.
Was
it
serious
?
Certainly
Daphne
had
been
committing
herself
a
good
deal
.
The
question
was
whether
she
had
not
been
committing
herself
more
than
the
young
man
had
been
doing
on
his
side
.
That
was
the
astonishing
part
of
it
.
Mrs.
Verrier
could
not
sufficiently
admire
the
skill
with
which
Roger
Barnes
had
so
far
played
his
part
;
could
not
sufficiently
ridicule
her
own
lack
of
insight
,
which
at
her
first
meeting
with
him
had
pronounced
him
stupid
.
Stupid
he
might
be
in
the
sense
that
it
was
of
no
use
to
expect
from
him
the
kind
of
talk
on
books
,
pictures
,
and
first
principles
which
prevailed
in
Daphne
's
circle
.
But
Mrs.
Verrier
thought
she
had
seldom
come
across
a
finer
sense
of
tactics
than
young
Barnes
had
so
far
displayed
in
his
dealings
with
Daphne
.
If
he
went
on
as
he
had
begun
,
the
probability
was
that
he
would
succeed
.
Did
she
,
Madeleine
Verrier
,
wish
him
to
succeed
?
Daphne
had
grown
tragically
necessary
to
her
,
in
this
world
of
American
society
—
that
section
of
it
,
at
any
rate
,
in
which
she
desired
to
move
,
where
the
widow
of
Leopold
Verrier
was
always
conscious
of
the
blowing
of
a
cold
and
hostile
breath
.
She
was
not
excluded
,
but
she
was
not
welcome
;
she
was
not
ostracised
,
but
she
had
lost
consideration
.
There
had
been
something
picturesque
and
appealing
in
her
husband
;
something
unbearably
tragic
in
the
manner
of
his
death
.
She
had
braved
it
out
by
staying
in
America
,
instead
of
losing
herself
in
foreign
towns
;
and
she
had
thereby
proclaimed
that
she
had
no
guilty
sense
of
responsibility
,
no
burden
on
her
conscience
;
that
she
had
only
behaved
as
a
thousand
other
women
would
have
behaved
,
and
without
any
cruel
intention
at
all
.
But
she
knew
all
the
same
that
the
spectators
of
what
had
happened
held
her
for
a
cruel
woman
,
and
that
there
were
many
,
and
those
the
best
,
who
saw
her
come
with
distaste
,
and
go
without
regret
;
and
it
was
under
that
knowledge
,
in
spite
of
indomitable
pride
,
that
her
beauty
had
withered
in
a
year
.
And
at
the
moment
when
the
smart
of
what
had
happened
to
her
—
personally
and
socially
—
was
at
its
keenest
;
when
,
after
a
series
of
quarrels
,
she
had
separated
herself
from
the
imperious
mother
who
had
been
her
evil
genius
throughout
her
marriage
,
she
had
made
friends
,
unexpectedly
,
owing
to
a
chance
meeting
at
a
picture-gallery
,
with
Daphne
Floyd
.
Some
element
in
Daphne
's
nature
had
attracted
and
disarmed
her
.
The
proud
,
fastidious
woman
had
given
the
girl
her
confidence
—
eagerly
,
indiscriminately
.
She
had
poured
out
upon
her
all
that
wild
philosophy
of
“
rights
”
which
is
still
struggling
in
the
modern
mind
with
a
crumbling
ethic
and
a
vanishing
religion
.
And
she
had
found
in
Daphne
a
warm
and
passionate
ally
.
Daphne
was
nothing
if
not
“
advanced
.
”
She
shrank
,
as
Roger
Barnes
had
perceived
,
from
no
question
;
she
had
never
been
forbidden
,
had
never
forbidden
herself
,
any
book
that
she
had
a
fancy
to
read
;
and
she
was
as
ready
to
discuss
the
relative
divorce
laws
of
Massachusetts
and
Pennsylvania
,
as
the
girls
of
fifty
years
ago
were
to
talk
of
the
fashions
,
or
“
Evangeline
.
”
In
any
disputed
case
,
moreover
,
between
a
man
and
a
woman
Daphne
was
hotly
and
instinctively
on
the
side
of
the
woman
.
She
had
thrown
herself
therefore
with
ardour
into
the
defence
of
Mrs.
Verrier
;
and
for
her
it
was
not
the
wife
's
desertion
,
but
the
husband
's
suicide
,
which
had
been
the
cruel
and
indefensible
thing
.
All
these
various
traits
and
liberalisms
had
made
her
very
dear
to
Madeleine
Verrier
.
Now
,
as
that
lady
sat
in
her
usual
drooping
attitude
,
wondering
what
Washington
would
be
like
for
her
when
even
Daphne
Floyd
was
gone
from
it
,
the
afternoon
sun
stole
through
the
curtains
of
the
window
on
the
street
and
touched
some
of
the
furniture
and
engravings
in
the
inner
drawing-room
.
Suddenly
Mrs.
Verrier
started
in
her
chair
.
A
face
had
emerged
,
thrown
out
upon
the
shadows
by
the
sun-finger
—
the
countenance
of
a
handsome
young
Jew
,
as
Rembrandt
had
once
conceived
it
.
Rare
and
high
intelligence
,
melancholy
,
and
premonition
:
—
they
were
there
embodied
,
so
long
as
the
apparition
lasted
.
The
effect
on
Mrs.
Verrier
was
apparently
profound
.
She
closed
her
eyes
;
her
lips
quivered
;
she
leant
back
feebly
in
her
chair
,
breathing
a
name
.
The
crisis
lasted
a
few
minutes
,
while
the
momentary
vision
faded
and
the
sunlight
crept
on
.
The
eyelids
unclosed
at
last
,
slowly
and
painfully
,
as
though
shrinking
from
what
might
greet
the
eyes
beneath
them
.
But
the
farther
wall
was
now
in
deep
shade
.
Mrs.
Verrier
sat
up
;
the
emotion
which
had
mastered
her
like
a
possession
passed
away
;
and
rising
hurriedly
,
she
went
back
to
the
front
drawing-room
.
She
had
hardly
reached
it
when
Miss
Floyd
's
voice
was
heard
upon
the
stairs
.
Daphne
entered
the
room
in
what
appeared
to
be
a
fit
of
irritation
.
She
was
scolding
the
parlour-maid
,
whose
high
colour
and
dignified
silence
proclaimed
her
both
blameless
and
long-suffering
.
At
the
sight
of
Mrs.
Verrier
Daphne
checked
herself
with
an
effort
and
kissed
her
friend
rather
absently
.
“
Dear
Madeleine
!
—
very
good
of
you
to
wait
.
Have
they
given
you
tea
?
I
suppose
not
.
My
household
seems
to
have
gone
mad
this
afternoon
.
Sit
down
.
Some
tea
,
Blount
,
at
once
.
”
Mrs.
Verrier
sank
into
a
corner
of
the
sofa
,
while
Daphne
,
with
an
“
Ouf
!
”
of
fatigue
,
took
off
her
hat
,
and
threw
herself
down
at
the
other
end
,
her
small
feet
curled
up
beneath
her
.
Her
half-frowning
eyes
gave
the
impression
that
she
was
still
out
of
temper
and
on
edge
.
“
Where
have
you
been
?
”
asked
her
companion
quietly
.
“
Listening
to
a
stuffy
debate
in
the
Senate
,
”
said
Daphne
without
a
smile
.
“
The
Senate
.
What
on
earth
took
you
there
?
”
“
Well
,
why
should
n't
I
go
?
—
why
does
one
do
anything
?
It
was
just
a
debate
—
horribly
dull
—
trusts
,
or
something
,
of
that
kind
.
But
there
was
a
man
attacking
the
President
—
and
the
place
was
crowded
.
Ugh
!
the
heat
was
intolerable
!
”
“
Who
took
you
?
”
Daphne
named
an
under-secretary
—
an
agreeable
and
ambitious
man
,
who
had
been
very
much
in
her
train
during
the
preceding
winter
,
and
until
Roger
Barnes
appeared
upon
the
scene
.
“
I
thought
until
I
got
your
message
that
you
were
going
to
take
Mr.
Barnes
motoring
up
the
river
.
”
“
Mr.
Barnes
was
engaged
.
”
Daphne
gave
the
information
tersely
,
rousing
herself
afterwards
to
make
tea
,
which
appeared
at
that
moment
.
“
He
seems
to
have
been
a
good
deal
engaged
this
week
,
”
said
Mrs.
Verrier
,
when
they
were
alone
again
.
Daphne
made
no
reply
.
And
Mrs.
Verrier
,
after
observing
her
for
a
moment
,
resumed
:
“
I
suppose
it
was
the
Bostonians
?
”
“
I
suppose
so
.
What
does
it
matter
?
”
The
tone
was
dry
and
sharp
.
“
Daphne
,
you
goose
!
”
laughed
Mrs.
Verrier
,
“
I
believe
this
is
the
very
first
invitation
of
theirs
he
has
accepted
at
all
.
He
was
written
to
about
them
by
an
old
friend
—
his
Eton
master
,
or
somebody
of
that
sort
.
And
as
they
turned
up
here
on
a
visit
,
instead
of
his
having
to
go
and
look
for
them
at
Boston
,
of
course
he
had
to
call
upon
them
.
”
“
I
dare
say
.
And
of
course
he
had
to
go
to
tea
with
them
yesterday
,
and
he
had
to
take
them
to
Arlington
this
afternoon
!
I
suppose
I
'd
better
tell
you
—
we
had
a
quarrel
on
the
subject
last
night
.
”
“
Daphne
!
—
do
n't
,
for
heaven
's
sake
,
make
him
think
himself
too
important
!
”
cried
Mrs.
Verrier
.
Daphne
,
with
both
elbows
on
the
table
,
was
slowly
crunching
a
morsel
of
toast
in
her
small
white
teeth
.
She
had
a
look
of
concentrated
energy
—
as
of
a
person
charged
and
overcharged
with
force
of
some
kind
,
impatient
to
be
let
loose
.
Her
black
eyes
sparkled
;
impetuosity
and
will
shone
from
them
;
although
they
showed
also
rims
of
fatigue
,
as
if
Miss
Daphne
's
nights
had
not
of
late
been
all
they
should
be
.
Mrs.
Verrier
was
chiefly
struck
,
however
,
by
the
perception
that
for
the
first
time
Daphne
was
not
having
altogether
her
own
way
with
the
world
.
Madeleine
had
not
observed
anything
of
the
same
kind
in
her
before
.
In
general
she
was
in
entire
command
both
of
herself
and
of
the
men
who
surrounded
her
.
She
made
a
little
court
out
of
them
,
and
treated
them
en
despote
.
But
Roger
Barnes
had
not
lent
himself
to
the
process
;
he
had
not
played
the
game
properly
;
and
Daphne
's
sleep
had
been
disturbed
for
the
first
time
in
history
.
It
had
been
admitted
very
soon
between
the
two
friends
—
without
putting
it
very
precisely
—
that
Daphne
was
interested
in
Roger
Barnes
.
Mrs.
Verrier
believed
that
the
girl
had
been
originally
carried
off
her
feet
by
the
young
man
's
superb
good
looks
,
and
by
the
natural
distinction
—
evident
in
all
societies
—
which
they
conferred
upon
him
.
Then
,
no
doubt
,
she
had
been
piqued
by
his
good-humoured
,
easy
way
—
the
absence
of
any
doubt
of
himself
,
of
tremor
,
of
insistence
.
Mrs.
Verrier
said
to
herself
—
not
altogether
shrewdly
—
that
he
had
no
nerves
,
or
no
heart
;
and
Daphne
had
not
yet
come
across
the
genus
.
Her
lovers
had
either
possessed
too
much
heart
—
like
Captain
Boyson
—
or
a
lack
of
coolness
,
when
it
really
came
to
the
point
of
grappling
with
Daphne
and
her
millions
,
as
in
the
case
of
a
dozen
she
could
name
.
Whereby
it
had
come
about
that
Daphne
's
attention
had
been
first
provoked
,
then
peremptorily
seized
by
the
Englishman
;
and
Mrs.
Verrier
began
now
to
suspect
that
deeper
things
were
really
involved
.
Certainly
there
was
a
good
deal
to
puzzle
the
spectator
.
That
the
English
are
a
fortune-hunting
race
may
be
a
popular
axiom
;
but
it
was
quite
possible
,
after
all
,
that
Roger
Barnes
was
not
the
latest
illustration
of
it
.
It
was
quite
possible
,
also
,
that
he
had
a
sweetheart
at
home
,
some
quiet
,
Quakerish
girl
who
would
never
wave
in
his
face
the
red
flags
that
Daphne
was
fond
of
brandishing
.
It
was
equally
possible
that
he
was
merely
fooling
with
Daphne
—
that
he
had
seen
girls
he
liked
better
in
New
York
,
and
was
simply
killing
time
till
a
sportsman
friend
of
whom
he
talked
should
appear
on
the
scene
and
take
him
off
to
shoot
moose
and
catch
trout
in
the
province
of
Quebec
.
Mrs.
Verrier
realised
that
,
for
all
his
lack
of
subtlety
and
the
higher
conversation
,
young
Barnes
had
managed
astonishingly
to
keep
his
counsel
.
His
“
simplicity
,
”
like
Daphne
's
,
seemed
to
be
of
a
special
type
.
And
yet
—
there
was
no
doubt
that
he
had
devoted
himself
a
great
deal
.
Washington
society
had
quickly
found
him
out
;
he
had
been
invited
to
all
the
most
fastidious
houses
,
and
was
immensely
in
request
for
picnics
and
expeditions
.
But
he
had
contrived
,
on
the
whole
,
to
make
all
these
opportunities
promote
the
flirtation
with
Daphne
.
He
had
,
in
fact
,
been
enough
at
her
beck
and
call
to
make
her
the
envy
of
a
young
society
with
whom
the
splendid
Englishman
promised
to
become
the
rage
,
and
not
enough
to
silence
or
wholly
discourage
other
claimants
on
his
time
.
This
no
doubt
accounted
for
the
fact
that
the
two
charming
Bostonians
,
Mrs.
Maddison
and
her
daughter
,
who
had
but
lately
arrived
in
Washington
and
made
acquaintance
with
Roger
Barnes
,
were
still
evidently
in
ignorance
of
what
was
going
on
.
They
were
not
initiated
.
They
had
invited
young
Barnes
in
the
innocence
of
their
hearts
,
without
inviting
Daphne
Floyd
,
whom
they
did
not
previously
know
.
And
the
young
man
had
seen
fit
to
accept
their
invitation
.
Hence
the
jealousy
that
was
clearly
burning
in
Daphne
,
that
she
was
not
indeed
even
trying
to
hide
from
the
shrewd
eyes
of
her
friend
.
Mrs.
Verrier
's
advice
not
to
make
Roger
Barnes
“
too
important
”
had
called
up
a
flash
of
colour
in
the
girl
's
cheeks
.
But
she
did
not
resent
it
in
words
;
rather
her
silence
deepened
,
till
Mrs.
Verrier
stretched
out
a
hand
and
laughingly
turned
the
small
face
towards
her
that
she
might
see
what
was
in
it
.
“
Daphne
!
I
really
believe
you
're
in
love
with
him
!
”
“
Not
at
all
,
”
said
Daphne
,
her
eyelids
flickering
;
“
I
never
know
what
to
talk
to
him
about
.
”
“
As
if
that
mattered
!
”
“
Elsie
Maddison
always
knows
what
to
talk
to
him
about
,
and
he
chatters
to
her
the
whole
time
.
”
Mrs.
Verrier
paused
a
moment
,
then
said
:
“
Do
you
suppose
he
came
to
America
to
marry
money
?
”
“
I
have
n't
an
idea
.
”
“
Do
you
suppose
he
knows
that
you
—
are
not
exactly
a
pauper
?
”
Daphne
drew
herself
away
impatiently
.
“
I
really
do
n't
suppose
anything
,
Madeleine
.
He
never
talks
about
money
,
and
I
should
think
he
had
plenty
himself
.
”
Mrs.
Verrier
replied
by
giving
an
outline
of
the
financial
misfortunes
of
Barnes
père
,
as
they
had
been
described
to
her
by
another
English
traveller
in
Washington
.
Daphne
listened
indifferently
.
“
He
ca
n't
be
very
poor
or
he
would
n't
behave
as
he
does
.
And
he
is
to
inherit
the
General
's
property
.
He
told
me
so
.
”
“
And
it
would
n't
matter
to
you
,
Daphne
,
if
you
did
think
a
man
had
married
you
for
money
?
”
Daphne
had
risen
,
and
was
pacing
the
drawing-room
floor
,
her
hands
clasped
behind
her
back
.
She
turned
a
cloudy
face
upon
her
questioner
.
“
It
would
matter
a
great
deal
,
if
I
thought
it
had
been
only
for
money
.
But
then
,
I
hope
I
should
n't
have
been
such
a
fool
as
to
marry
him
.
”
“
But
you
could
bear
it
,
if
the
money
counted
for
something
?
”
“
I
'm
not
an
idiot
!
”
said
the
girl
with
energy
.
“
With
whom
does
n't
money
count
for
something
?
Of
course
a
man
must
take
money
into
consideration
.
”
There
was
a
curious
touch
of
arrogance
in
the
gesture
which
accompanied
the
words
.
“
‘How
pleasant
it
is
to
have
money
,
heigh-ho
!
—
How
pleasant
it
is
to
have
money
,
’
”
said
Mrs.
Verrier
,
quoting
,
with
a
laugh
.
“
Yes
,
I
dare
say
you
'd
be
very
reasonable
,
Daphne
,
about
that
kind
of
thing
.
But
I
do
n't
think
you
'd
be
a
comfortable
wife
,
dear
,
all
the
same
.
”
“
What
do
you
mean
?
”
“
You
might
allow
your
husband
to
spare
a
little
love
to
your
money
;
you
would
be
for
killing
him
if
he
ever
looked
at
another
woman
!
”
“
You
mean
I
should
be
jealous
?
”
asked
Daphne
,
almost
with
violence
.
“
You
are
quite
right
there
.
I
should
be
very
jealous
.
On
that
point
I
should
‘find
quarrel
in
a
straw.’
”
Her
cheeks
had
flushed
a
passionate
red
.
The
eyes
which
she
had
inherited
from
her
Spanish
grandmother
blazed
above
them
.
She
had
become
suddenly
a
woman
of
Andalusia
and
the
South
,
moved
by
certain
primitive
forces
in
the
blood
.
Madeleine
Verrier
held
out
her
hands
,
smiling
.
“
Come
here
,
little
wild
cat
.
I
believe
you
are
jealous
of
Elsie
Maddison
.
”
Daphne
approached
her
slowly
,
and
slowly
dropped
into
a
seat
beside
her
friend
,
her
eyes
still
fixed
and
splendid
.
But
as
she
looked
into
them
Madeleine
Verrier
saw
them
suddenly
dimmed
.
“
Daphne
!
you
are
in
love
.
with
him
!
”
The
girl
recovered
herself
,
clenching
her
small
hands
.
“
If
I
am
,
”
she
said
resolutely
,
“
it
is
strange
how
like
the
other
thing
it
is
!
I
do
n't
know
whether
I
shall
speak
to
him
to-night
.
”
“
To-night
?
”
Mrs.
Verrier
looked
a
little
puzzled
.
“
At
the
White
House
.
You
're
going
,
of
course
.
”
“
No
,
I
am
not
going
.
”
The
voice
was
quiet
and
cold
.
“
I
am
not
asked
.
”
Daphne
,
vexed
with
herself
,
touched
her
friend
's
hand
caressingly
.
“
It
will
be
just
a
crush
,
dear
.
But
I
promised
various
people
to
go
.
”
“
And
he
will
be
there
?
”
“
I
suppose
so
.
”
Daphne
turned
her
head
away
,
and
then
sprang
up
.
“
Have
you
seen
the
picture
?
”
Mrs.
Verrier
followed
her
into
the
inner
room
,
where
the
girl
gave
a
laughing
and
triumphant
account
of
her
acquisition
,
the
agents
she
had
employed
,
the
skill
with
which
it
had
been
conveyed
out
of
Italy
,
the
wrath
of
various
famous
collectors
,
who
had
imagined
that
the
fight
lay
between
them
alone
,
when
they
found
the
prize
had
been
ravished
from
them
.
Madeleine
Verrier
was
very
intelligent
,
and
the
contrast
,
which
the
story
brought
out
,
between
the
girl
's
fragile
youth
and
the
strange
and
passionate
sense
of
power
which
breathed
from
her
whenever
it
became
a
question
of
wealth
and
the
use
of
it
,
was
at
no
point
lost
upon
her
companion
.
Daphne
would
not
allow
any
further
talk
of
Roger
Barnes
.
Her
chaperon
,
Mrs.
Phillips
,
presently
appeared
,
and
passed
through
rather
a
bad
quarter
of
an
hour
while
the
imperious
mistress
of
the
house
inquired
into
certain
invitations
and
card-leavings
that
had
not
been
managed
to
her
liking
.
Then
Daphne
sat
down
to
write
a
letter
to
a
Girls
'
Club
in
New
York
,
of
which
she
was
President
—
where
,
in
fact
,
she
occasionally
took
the
Singing
Class
,
with
which
she
had
made
so
much
play
at
her
first
meeting
with
Roger
Barnes
.
She
had
to
tell
them
that
she
had
just
engaged
a
holiday
house
for
them
,
to
which
they
might
go
in
instalments
throughout
the
summer
.
She
would
pay
the
rent
,
provide
a
lady-superintendent
,
and
make
herself
responsible
for
all
but
food
expenses
.
Her
small
face
relaxed
—
became
quite
soft
and
charming
—
as
she
wrote
.
“
But
,
my
dear
,
”
cried
Mrs.
Phillips
in
dismay
,
as
Daphne
handed
her
the
letter
to
read
,
“
you
have
taken
the
house
on
Lake
George
,
and
you
know
the
girls
had
all
set
their
hearts
on
that
place
in
the
White
Mountains
!
”
Daphne
's
lips
tightened
.
“
Certainly
I
have
taken
the
house
on
Lake
George
,
”
she
said
,
as
she
carefully
wiped
her
pen
.
“
I
told
them
I
should
.
”
“
But
,
my
dear
,
they
are
so
tired
of
Lake
George
!
They
have
been
there
three
years
running
.
And
you
know
they
subscribe
a
good
deal
themselves
.
”
“
Very
well
!
—
then
let
them
do
without
my
help
.
I
have
inquired
into
the
matter
.
The
house
on
Lake
George
is
much
more
suitable
than
the
White
Mountains
farm
,
and
I
have
written
to
the
agent
.
The
thing
's
done
.
”
Mrs.
Phillips
argued
a
little
more
,
but
Daphne
was
immovable
.
Mrs.
Verrier
,
watching
the
two
,
reflected
,
as
she
had
often
done
before
,
that
Mrs.
Phillips
's
post
was
not
particularly
enviable
.
Daphne
treated
her
in
many
ways
with
great
generosity
,
paid
her
highly
,
grudged
her
no
luxury
,
and
was
always
courteous
to
her
in
public
.
But
in
private
Daphne
's
will
was
law
,
and
she
had
an
abrupt
and
dictatorial
way
of
asserting
it
that
brought
the
red
back
into
Mrs.
Phillips
's
faded
cheeks
.
Mrs.
Verrier
had
often
expected
her
to
throw
up
her
post
.
But
there
was
no
doubt
something
in
Daphne
's
personality
which
made
life
beside
her
too
full
of
colour
to
be
lightly
abandoned
.
Daphne
presently
went
upstairs
to
take
off
her
walking-dress
,
and
Mrs.
Phillips
,
with
a
rather
troubled
face
,
began
to
tidy
the
confusion
of
letters
she
had
left
behind
her
.
“
I
dare
say
the
girls
wo
n't
mind
,
”
said
Madeleine
Verrier
,
kindly
.
Mrs.
Phillips
started
,
and
her
mild
lips
quivered
a
little
.
Daphne
's
charities
were
for
Daphne
an
amusement
;
for
this
gentle
,
faded
woman
,
who
bore
all
the
drudgery
of
them
,
they
were
the
chief
attraction
of
life
in
Daphne
's
house
.
Mrs.
Phillips
loved
the
club-girls
,
and
the
thought
of
their
disappointment
pained
her
.
“
I
must
try
and
put
it
to
them
,
”
was
her
patient
reply
.
“
Daphne
must
always
have
her
way
,
”
Madeleine
went
on
,
smiling
.
“
I
wonder
what
she
'll
do
when
she
marries
.
”
Mrs.
Phillips
looked
up
quickly
.
“
I
hope
it
'll
be
the
right
man
,
Mrs.
Verrier
.
Of
course
,
with
anyone
so
—
so
clever
—
and
so
used
to
managing
everything
for
herself
—
one
would
be
a
little
anxious
.
”
Mrs.
Verrier
's
expression
changed
.
A
kind
of
wildness
—
fanaticism
—
invaded
it
,
as
of
one
recalling
a
mission
.
“
Oh
,
well
,
nothing
is
irrevocable
nowadays
,
”
she
said
,
almost
with
violence
.
“
Still
,
I
hope
Daphne
wo
n't
make
a
mistake
.
”
Mrs.
Phillips
looked
at
her
companion
,
at
first
in
astonishment
.
Then
a
change
passed
over
her
face
.
With
a
cold
excuse
she
left
Mrs.
Verrier
alone
.
CHAPTER
IV
THE
reception
at
the
White
House
was
being
given
in
honour
of
the
delegates
to
a
Peace
Congress
.
The
rooms
were
full
without
being
inconveniently
crowded
,
and
the
charming
house
opened
its
friendly
doors
to
a
society
more
congruous
and
organic
,
richer
also
in
the
nobler
kind
of
variety
than
America
,
perhaps
,
can
offer
to
her
guests
elsewhere
.
What
the
opera
and
international
finance
are
to
New
York
,
politics
and
administration
are
,
as
we
all
know
,
to
Washington
.
And
the
visitor
from
Europe
,
conversationally
starved
for
want
of
what
seem
to
him
the
only
topics
worth
discussing
,
finds
himself
within
hearing
once
more
of
ministers
,
cabinets
,
embassies
,
and
parliamentary
gossip
.
Even
General
Hobson
had
come
to
admit
that
—
especially
for
the
middle-aged
—
Washington
parties
were
extremely
agreeable
.
The
young
and
foolish
might
sigh
for
the
flesh-pots
of
New
York
;
those
on
whom
“
the
black
ox
had
trodden
,
”
who
were
at
all
aware
what
a
vast
tormenting
,
multitudinous
,
and
headstrong
world
man
has
been
given
to
inhabit
;
those
who
were
engaged
in
governing
any
part
of
that
world
,
or
meant
some
day
to
be
thus
engaged
;
for
them
Washington
was
indispensable
,
and
New
York
a
mere
entertainment
.
Moreover
Washington
,
at
this
time
of
the
world
's
history
,
was
the
scene
of
one
of
those
episodes
—
those
brisker
moments
in
the
human
comedy
—
which
every
now
and
then
revive
among
us
an
almost
forgotten
belief
in
personality
,
an
almost
forgotten
respect
for
the
mysteries
behind
it
.
The
guests
streaming
through
the
White
House
defiled
past
a
man
who
,
in
a
level
and
docketed
world
,
appeared
to
his
generation
as
the
reincarnation
of
forces
primitive
,
over-mastering
,
and
heroic
.
An
honest
Odysseus
!
—
toil-worn
and
storm-beaten
,
yet
still
with
the
spirit
and
strength
,
the
many
devices
,
of
a
boy
;
capable
like
his
prototype
in
one
short
day
of
crushing
his
enemies
,
upholding
his
friends
,
purifying
his
house
;
and
then
,
with
the
heat
of
righteous
battle
still
upon
him
,
with
its
gore
,
so
to
speak
,
still
upon
his
hands
,
of
turning
his
mind
,
without
a
pause
and
without
hypocrisy
,
to
things
intimate
and
soft
and
pure
—
the
domestic
sweetness
of
Penelope
,
the
young
promise
of
Telemachus
.
The
President
stood
,
a
rugged
figure
,
amid
the
cosmopolitan
crowd
,
breasting
the
modern
world
,
like
some
ocean
headland
,
yet
not
truly
of
it
,
one
of
the
great
fighters
and
workers
of
mankind
,
with
a
laugh
that
pealed
above
the
noise
,
blue
eyes
that
seemed
to
pursue
some
converse
of
their
own
,
and
a
hand
that
grasped
and
cheered
,
where
other
hands
withdrew
and
repelled
.
This
one
man
's
will
had
now
,
for
some
years
,
made
the
pivot
on
which
vast
issues
turned
—
issues
of
peace
and
war
,
of
policy
embracing
the
civilised
world
;
and
,
here
,
one
saw
him
in
drawing-rooms
,
discussing
Alaric
's
campaigns
with
an
Oxford
professor
,
or
chatting
with
a
young
mother
about
her
children
.
Beside
him
,
the
human
waves
,
as
they
met
and
parted
,
disclosed
a
woman
's
face
,
modelled
by
nature
in
one
of
her
lightest
and
deftest
moods
,
a
trifle
detached
,
humorous
also
,
as
though
the
world
's
strange
sights
stirred
a
gentle
and
kindly
mirth
behind
its
sweet
composure
.
The
dignity
of
the
President
's
wife
was
complete
,
yet
it
had
not
extinguished
the
personality
it
clothed
;
and
where
royalty
,
as
the
European
knows
it
,
would
have
donned
its
mask
and
stood
on
its
defence
,
Republican
royalty
dared
to
be
its
amused
,
confiding
,
natural
self
.
All
around
—
the
political
,
diplomatic
world
of
Washington
.
General
Hobson
,
as
he
passed
through
it
,
greeted
by
what
was
now
a
large
acquaintance
,
found
himself
driven
once
more
to
the
inward
confession
—
the
grudging
confession
—
as
though
Providence
had
not
played
him
fair
in
extorting
it
—
that
American
politicians
ticians
were
of
a
vastly
finer
stamp
than
he
had
expected
to
find
them
.
The
American
press
was
all
—
he
vowed
—
that
fancy
had
painted
it
,
and
more
.
But
,
as
he
looked
about
him
at
the
members
of
the
President
's
administration
—
at
this
tall
,
black-haired
man
,
for
instance
,
with
the
mild
and
meditative
eye
,
the
equal
,
social
or
intellectual
,
of
any
Foreign
Minister
that
Europe
might
pit
against
him
,
or
any
diplomat
that
might
be
sent
to
handle
him
;
or
this
younger
man
,
sparely
built
,
with
the
sane
,
handsome
face
—
son
of
a
famous
father
,
modest
,
amiable
,
efficient
;
or
this
other
,
of
huge
bulk
and
height
,
the
sport
of
caricature
,
the
hope
of
a
party
,
smiling
already
a
presidential
smile
as
he
passed
,
observed
and
beset
,
through
the
crowded
rooms
;
or
these
naval
or
military
men
,
with
their
hard
serviceable
looks
,
and
the
curt
good
manners
of
their
kind
:
—
the
General
saw
as
clearly
as
anybody
else
,
that
America
need
make
no
excuses
whatever
for
her
best
men
,
that
she
has
evolved
the
leaders
she
wants
,
and
Europe
has
nothing
to
teach
them
.
He
could
only
console
himself
by
the
remembrance
of
a
speech
,
made
by
a
well-known
man
,
at
a
military
function
which
the
General
had
attended
as
a
guest
of
honour
the
day
before
.
There
at
last
was
the
real
thing
!
The
real
,
Yankee
,
spread-eagle
thing
!
The
General
positively
hugged
the
thought
of
it
.
“
The
American
soldier
,
”
said
the
speaker
,
standing
among
the
ambassadors
,
the
naval
and
military
attachés
,
of
all
the
European
nations
,
“
is
the
superior
of
all
other
soldiers
in
three
respects
—
bravery
,
discipline
,
intelligence
.
”
Bravery
,
discipline
,
intelligence
!
Just
those
—
the
merest
trifle
!
The
General
had
found
himself
chuckling
over
it
in
the
visions
of
the
night
.
Tired
at
last
of
these
various
impressions
,
acting
on
a
mind
not
quite
alert
enough
to
deal
with
them
,
the
General
went
in
search
of
his
nephew
.
Roger
had
been
absent
all
day
,
and
the
General
had
left
the
hotel
before
his
return
.
But
the
uncle
was
sure
that
he
would
sooner
or
later
put
in
an
appearance
.
It
was
of
course
entirely
on
Roger
's
account
that
this
unwilling
guest
of
America
was
her
guest
still
.
For
three
weeks
now
had
the
General
been
watching
the
affair
between
Roger
and
Daphne
Floyd
.
It
had
gone
with
such
a
rush
at
first
,
such
a
swing
and
fervour
,
that
the
General
had
felt
that
any
day
might
bring
the
dénouement
.
It
was
really
impossible
to
desert
the
lad
at
such
a
crisis
,
especially
as
Laura
was
so
excitable
and
anxious
,
and
so
sure
to
make
her
brother
pay
for
it
if
he
failed
to
support
her
views
and
ambitions
at
the
right
moment
.
The
General
moreover
felt
the
absolute
necessity
of
getting
to
know
something
more
about
Miss
Floyd
,
her
character
,
the
details
of
her
fortune
and
antecedents
,
so
that
when
the
great
moment
came
he
might
be
prepared
.
But
the
astonishing
thing
was
that
of
late
the
whole
affair
seemed
to
have
come
to
some
stupid
hitch
!
Roger
had
been
behaving
like
a
very
cool
hand
—
too
cool
by
half
in
the
General
's
opinion
.
What
the
deuce
did
he
mean
by
hanging
about
these
Boston
ladies
,
if
his
affections
were
really
fixed
on
Miss
Daphne
?
—
or
his
ambitions
,
which
to
the
uncle
seemed
nearer
the
truth
.
“
Well
,
where
is
the
nephew
?
”
said
Cecilia
Boyson
's
voice
in
his
ear
.
The
General
turned
.
He
saw
a
sharp
,
though
still
young
face
,
a
thin
and
willowy
figure
,
attired
in
white
silk
,
a
pince-nez
on
the
high-pitched
nose
,
and
a
cool
smile
.
Unconsciously
his
back
stiffened
.
Miss
Boyson
invariably
roused
in
him
a
certain
masculine
antagonism
.
“
I
should
be
glad
if
you
would
tell
me
,
”
he
said
,
with
some
formality
.
“
There
are
two
or
three
people
here
to
whom
he
should
be
introduced
.
”
“
Has
he
been
picnicking
with
the
Maddisons
?
”
The
voice
was
shrill
,
perhaps
malicious
.
“
I
believe
they
took
him
to
Arlington
,
and
somewhere
else
afterwards
.
”
“
Ah
,
”
said
Cecilia
,
“
there
they
are
.
”
The
General
looked
towards
the
door
and
saw
his
nephew
enter
,
behind
a
mother
and
daughter
whom
,
as
it
seemed
to
him
,
their
acquaintances
in
the
crowd
around
them
greeted
with
a
peculiar
cordiality
;
the
mother
,
still
young
,
with
a
stag-like
carriage
of
the
head
,
a
long
throat
,
swathed
in
white
tulle
,
and
grizzled
hair
,
on
which
shone
a
spray
of
diamonds
;
the
daughter
,
equally
tall
and
straight
,
repeating
her
mother
's
beauty
with
a
bloom
and
radiance
of
her
own
.
Innocent
and
happy
,
with
dark
eyes
and
a
soft
mouth
,
Miss
Maddison
dropped
a
little
curtsey
to
the
presidential
pair
,
and
the
room
turned
to
look
at
her
as
she
did
so
.
“
A
very
sweet-looking
girl
,
”
said
the
General
warmly
.
“
Her
father
is
,
I
think
,
a
professor
.
”
“
He
was
.
He
is
now
just
a
writer
of
books
.
But
Elsie
was
brought
up
in
Cambridge
.
How
did
Mr.
Roger
know
them
?
”
“
His
Eton
tutor
told
him
to
go
and
see
them
.
”
“
I
thought
Miss
Floyd
expected
him
to-day
?
”
said
Miss
Boyson
carelessly
,
adjusting
her
eyeglass
.
“
It
was
a
mistake
,
a
misunderstanding
,
”
replied
the
General
hurriedly
.
“
Miss
Floyd
's
party
is
put
off
till
next
week
.
”
“
Daphne
is
just
coming
in
,
”
said
Miss
Boyson
.
The
General
turned
again
.
The
watchful
Cecilia
was
certain
that
he
was
not
in
love
with
Daphne
.
But
the
nephew
—
the
inordinately
handsome
,
and
by
now
much-courted
young
man
—
what
was
the
real
truth
about
him
?
Cecilia
recognised
—
with
Mrs.
Verrier
—
that
merely
to
put
the
question
involved
a
certain
tribute
to
young
Barnes
.
He
had
at
any
rate
done
his
fortune-hunting
,
if
fortune-hunting
it
were
,
with
decorum
.
“
Miss
Floyd
is
looking
well
to-night
,
”
remarked
the
General
.
Cecilia
did
not
reply
.
She
and
a
great
part
of
the
room
were
engaged
in
watching
Roger
Barnes
and
Miss
Maddison
walking
together
through
a
space
which
seemed
to
have
been
cleared
on
purpose
for
them
,
but
was
really
the
result
of
a
move
towards
the
supper-room
.
“
Was
there
ever
such
a
pair
?
”
said
an
enthusiastic
voice
behind
the
General
.
“
Athene
and
Apollo
take
the
floor
!
”
A
grey-haired
journalist
with
a
small
,
bewrinkled
face
,
buried
in
whiskers
and
beard
,
laid
a
hand
on
the
General
's
arm
as
he
spoke
.
The
General
smiled
vaguely
.
“
Do
you
know
Mrs.
and
Miss
Maddison
?
”
“
Rather
!
”
said
the
little
man
.
“
Miss
Elsie
's
a
wonder
!
As
pretty
and
soft
as
they
make
them
,
and
a
Greek
scholar
besides
—
took
all
sorts
of
honours
at
Radcliffe
last
year
.
I
've
known
her
from
her
cradle
.
”
“
What
a
number
of
your
girls
go
to
college
!
”
said
the
General
,
but
ungraciously
,
in
the
tones
of
one
who
no
sooner
saw
an
American
custom
emerging
than
his
instinct
was
to
hit
it
.
“
Yes
;
it
's
a
feature
of
our
modern
life
—
the
life
of
our
women
.
But
not
the
most
significant
one
,
by
a
long
way
.
”
The
General
could
not
help
a
look
of
inquiry
.
The
journalist
's
face
changed
from
gay
to
grave
.
“
The
most
significant
thing
in
American
life
just
now
—
”
“
I
know
!
”
interrupted
the
General
.
“
Your
divorce
laws
!
”
The
journalist
shook
his
head
.
“
It
goes
deeper
than
that
.
What
we
're
looking
on
at
is
a
complete
transformation
of
the
idea
of
marriage
—
”
A
movement
in
the
crowd
bore
the
speaker
away
.
The
General
was
left
watching
the
beautiful
pair
in
the
distance
.
They
were
apparently
quite
unconscious
that
they
roused
any
special
attention
.
Laughing
and
chatting
like
two
children
,
they
passed
into
the
supper-room
and
disappeared
.
Ten
minutes
later
,
in
the
supper-room
,
Barnes
deserted
the
two
ladies
with
whom
he
had
entered
,
and
went
in
pursuit
of
a
girl
in
white
,
whose
necklace
,
of
star
sapphires
in
a
Spanish
setting
of
the
seventeenth
century
,
had
at
once
caught
the
eye
of
the
judicious
.
Roger
,
however
,
knew
nothing
of
jewels
,
and
was
only
conscious
as
he
approached
Miss
Floyd
,
first
of
the
mingling
in
his
own
mind
of
something
like
embarrassment
with
something
like
defiance
,
and
then
,
of
the
glitter
in
the
girl
's
dark
eyes
.
“
I
hope
you
had
an
interesting
debate
,
”
he
said
.
“
Mrs.
Phillips
tells
me
you
went
to
the
Senate
.
”
Daphne
looked
him
up
and
down
.
“
Did
I
?
”
she
said
slowly
.
“
I
've
forgotten
.
Will
you
move
,
please
?
There
's
someone
bringing
me
an
ice
.
”
And
turning
her
back
on
Roger
,
she
smiled
and
beckoned
to
the
Under-Secretary
,
who
with
a
triumphant
face
was
making
his
way
to
her
through
the
crowd
.
Roger
coloured
hotly
.
“
May
I
bring
Mrs.
Maddison
?
”
he
said
,
passing
her
;
“
she
would
like
to
talk
to
you
about
a
party
for
next
week
—
”
“
Thank
you
.
I
am
just
going
home
.
”
And
with
an
energetic
movement
she
freed
herself
from
him
,
and
was
soon
in
the
gayest
of
talk
with
the
Under-Secretary
.
The
reception
broke
up
some
time
after
midnight
,
and
on
the
way
home
General
Hobson
attempted
a
raid
upon
his
nephew
's
intentions
.
“
I
do
n't
wish
to
seem
an
intrusive
person
,
my
dear
Roger
,
but
may
I
ask
how
much
longer
you
mean
to
stay
in
Washington
?
”
The
tone
was
short
and
the
look
which
accompanied
the
words
not
without
sarcasm
.
Roger
,
who
had
been
walking
beside
his
companion
,
still
deeply
flushed
,
in
complete
silence
,
gave
an
awkward
laugh
.
“
And
as
for
you
,
Uncle
Archie
,
I
thought
you
meant
to
sail
a
fortnight
ago
.
If
you
've
been
staying
on
like
this
on
my
account
—
”
“
Do
n't
make
a
fool
either
of
me
or
yourself
,
Roger
!
”
said
the
General
hastily
,
roused
at
last
to
speech
by
the
annoyance
of
the
situation
.
“
Of
course
it
was
on
your
account
that
I
have
stayed
on
.
But
what
on
earth
it
all
means
,
and
where
your
affairs
are
—
I
'm
hanged
if
I
have
the
glimmer
of
an
idea
!
”
Roger
's
smile
was
perfectly
good-humoured
.
“
I
have
n't
much
myself
,
”
he
said
quietly
.
“
Do
you
—
or
do
you
not
—
mean
to
propose
to
Miss
Floyd
?
”
cried
the
General
,
pausing
in
the
centre
of
Lafayette
Square
,
now
all
but
deserted
,
and
apostrophising
with
his
umbrella
—
for
the
night
was
soft
and
rainy
—
the
presidential
statue
above
his
head
.
“
Have
I
given
you
reason
to
suppose
that
I
was
going
to
do
so
?
”
said
Roger
slowly
.
“
Given
me
?
—
given
everybody
reason
?
—
of
course
you
have
!
—
a
dozen
times
over
.
I
do
n't
like
interfering
with
your
affairs
,
Roger
—
with
any
young
man
's
affairs
—
but
you
must
know
that
you
have
set
Washington
talking
,
and
it
's
not
fair
to
a
girl
—
by
George
it
is
n't
!
—
when
she
has
given
you
encouragement
and
you
have
made
her
conspicuous
,
to
begin
the
same
story
,
in
the
same
place
,
immediately
,
with
someone
else
!
As
you
say
,
I
ought
to
have
taken
myself
off
long
ago
.
”
“
I
did
n't
say
anything
of
the
kind
,
”
said
Roger
hotly
;
“
you
should
n't
put
words
into
my
mouth
,
Uncle
Archie
.
And
I
really
do
n't
see
why
you
attack
me
like
this
.
My
tutor
particularly
asked
me
,
if
I
came
across
them
,
