ady,
though it was still early in the season. Lady Dauntrey told anecdotes of
the "Rooms," as if to show that she was not ignorant of the place; but
Lord Dauntrey said nothing unless he were addressed, and then answered
in as few words as possible. Nevertheless he had something of that
old-world courtesy which Mary had been taught, and she felt an odd,
instinctive sympathy with him. She even found herself pitying the man,
though she did not know why. A man might be taciturn and tired-looking
yet not unhappy.

They sat a long time at dinner before they were allowed to pay and go.
Lord Dauntrey's party smoked, and the girl at Mary's table offered her a
cigarette from a gold case with the name "Dodo" written across it in
diamonds. Mary thanked her, and refused. She had heard girls at school
say that they knew women who smoked, but she had never seen a woman
smoking. It seemed odd that no one looked surprised.

Her neighbour, whom she now heard addressed as Miss Wardropp, did not
come into their compartment at once, but stopped in another of the same
size, where she, with Lord and Lady Dauntrey and Miss Collis, played a
game with a little wheel which they turned. When Mary stood in the
corridor, while the beds were being made, she saw them turning this
wheel, and wondered what the game could be. They had a folding board
with yellow numbers on a dark green ground, and they were playing with
ivory chips of different colours.

Mary had the lower berth, but when she realized how much pleasanter it
would be to sleep in the upper one, she could not bring herself to take
it. She felt that it would be selfish to be found there when Miss
Wardropp came to undress; and when the latter did appear, toward
midnight, it was to see the lower berth left free.

"Why, but you were below. Didn't you know that?" she inquired rather
sharply, as if she expected her room mate to insist on changing.

"Yes," Mary replied meekly. "But I--I left it for you, and your little
dog."

"Well, I do think that's about the most unselfish thing I ever heard of
any one doing!" exclaimed Miss Wardropp. "Thank you very much, I'm sure.
No good my refusing now, as you're already in?"

"No, indeed," Mary laughed.

"I wish you were going with us to the Villa Bella Vista," said the
other. "From what I can see, we don't seem likely to get much
unselfishness there, from anybody."

Then, as she undressed, showing exquisite underclothing, she followed
her ambig