y
Sellingworth was elderly. Craven might have thought it was his absolute
duty to protect her from the possible dangers lurking between Regent
Street and Berkeley Square. But as time went on, despite the sallies
of Dick Garstin, the bloodless cynicisms of Enid Blunt, who counted
insolence as the chief of the virtues, the amorous sentimentalities of
the Turkish refugee from Smyrna, whose moral ruin had been brought about
by a few lines of praise from Pierre Loti, the touching appreciations
of prison life by Penitence Murray, and the voluble intellectuality of
Thapoulos, Jennings and Smith the sculptor, Miss Van Tuyn began to
feel absent-minded. Her power of attraction was quite evidently being
seriously challenged. She was now certain--how could she not be--that
Craven had not merely gone to Number 18A, but had also "gone in."

That was unnecessary. It was even very strange. For she, Beryl Van Tuyn,
was at least thirty-six years younger than Lady Sellingworth.

Miss Van Tuyn had an almost inordinate belief in the attraction youth
holds for men. She had none of the hidden diffidence which had been such
a troubling element in Lady Sellingworth's nature. Nor was there any imp
which sat out of reach and mocked her. The violet eyes were satirical;
but her satire was reserved for others, and was seldom or never directed
against herself. She possessed a supply of self-assurance such as
Lady Sellingworth had never had, though for many years she had had
the appearance of it. Having this inordinate belief and this strong
self-assurance, having also youth and beauty, and remembering certain
little things which seemed to her proof positive that Craven was quite
as susceptible to physical emotions as are most healthy and normal
young men, she wondered why he had not returned to the Cafe Royal after
leaving Lady Sellingworth decorously at her door. He had known perfectly
well that she wished him to return. She had not even been subtle in
conveying the wish to him. And yet he had defied it.

Or perhaps Lady Sellingworth had defied it for him.

Miss Van Tuyn was really as fond of Lady Sellingworth as she could be of
a woman. She felt strongly the charm which so many others had felt.
Lady Sellingworth also interested her brain and aroused strongly the
curiosity which was a marked feature of her "make-up." She had called
Lady Sellingworth a book of wisdom. She was also much influenced by
distinction and personal prestige. About the dis