ee him," said Charmian. "Who is it?"

Somebody began to sing: a full-bodiced lady, in a bonnet, and with an
over-arching bust distended with chest-notes, which swelled and sank
tumultuously to her music; her little tightly-gloved hands seemed of an
earlier period. Cornelia lost the name which Mr. Plaisdell gave, in the
first outburst, and caught nothing more of the talk which Charmian
dropped, and then caught up again when the hand-clapping began.

Some of the people went, and others came, with brief devoirs to Mrs.
Maybough in the crepuscular corner where she sat. The tea circulated
more and more; the babble rose and fell; it was all very curious to
Cornelia, who had never seen anything like it before, and quite lost
the sense of the day being Sunday. The stout lady's song had been
serious, if not precisely devotional in character; but Cornelia could
not have profited by the fact, for she did not know German. Mr.
Plaisdell kept up his talk with Charmian, and she caught some words now
and then that showed he was still speaking of his friend, or had
recurred to him. "I'm rather dangerous when I get started on him. He's
working out of his mannerisms into himself. He's a great fellow. I'm
going to ask Mrs. Maybough." But he did not go at once. He drew nearer
Cornelia, and tried to include her in the talk, but she was ashamed to
find that she was difficult to get on common ground. She would not keep
on talking Synthesis, as if that were the only thing she knew, but in
fact she did not know much else in New York, even about art.

"Ah!" he broke off to Charmian, with a lift of his head. "That's _too_
bad! There he comes now, with Wetmore!"

Cornelia looked toward Mrs. Maybough with him. One gentleman was
presenting another to Mrs. Maybough. They got through with her as
quickly as most people did, and then they made their way toward
Cornelia's table. She had just time to govern her head and hand into
stony rigidity, when Wetmore came up with Ludlow, whom he introduced to
Charmian. She was going to extend the acquaintance to Cornelia, but had
no chance before Ludlow took Cornelia's petrified fingers and bowed
over them. The men suppressed their surprise, if they had any, at this
meeting as of old friends, but Charmian felt no obligation to silence.

"Where in the world have you met before? Why, Cornelia Saunders, why
didn't you say you knew Mr. Ludlow?"

"I'm afraid I didn't give her time," Ludlow answered.

"Yes, but we