The pavement was pretty well filled with women who had begun shopping.
Carriages were standing beside the pavement; a lady crossed the pavement
from a shop door toward a coupe just in front of them, with her hand
full of light packages; she dropped one of them, and Mavering sprang
forward instinctively and picked it up for her.

"Oh, thank you!" she said, with the deep gratitude which society
cultivates for the smallest services. Then she lifted her drooped
eyelashes, and, with a flash of surprise, exclaimed, "Mr. Mavering!" and
dropped all her packages that she might shake hands with him.

Boardman sauntered slowly on, but saw with a backward glance Mavering
carrying the lady's packages to the coupe for her; saw him lift his
hat there, and shake hands with somebody in the coupe, and then stand
talking beside it. He waited at the corner of the block for Mavering to
come up, affecting an interest in the neck-wear of a furnisher's window.

In about five minutes Mavering joined him.

"Look here, Boardman! Those ladies have snagged onto me."

"Are there two of them?"

"Yes, one inside. And they want me to go with then to see the race.
Their father's got a little steam-yacht. They want you to go too."

Boardman shook his head.

"Well, that's what I told them--told them that you had to go on the
press boat. They said they wished they were going on the press boat too.
But I don't see how I can refuse. They're ladies that I met Class Day,
and I ought to have shown them a little more attention then; but I got
so taken up with--"

"I see," said Boardman, showing his teeth, fine and even as grains of
pop-corn, in a slight sarcastic smile. "Sort of poetical justice," he
suggested.

"Well, it is--sort of," said Mavering, with a shamefaced consciousness.
"What train are you going back on?"

"Seven o'clock."

"I'll be there."

He hurried back to rejoin the ladies, and Boardman saw him, after some
parley and laughter, get into the coupe, from which he inferred that
they had turned down the little seat in front, and made him take it; and
he inferred that they must be very jolly, sociable girls.

He did not see Mavering again till the train was on its way, when he
came in, looking distraughtly about for his friend. He was again very
melancholy, and said dejectedly that they had made him stay to dinner,
and had then driven him down to the station, bag and all. "The old
gentleman came too. I was in hopes I'd find you hang