of his bulk, and Ludlow
remained talking with Charmian. Then, with what was like the insensible
transition of dreams to her, he was talking with Cornelia. He said he
had been meaning to come and see her all the week past, but he had been
out of town, and very busy, and he supposed she was occupied with
looking about and getting settled. He did not make out a very clear
case, she chose to think, and she was not sure but he was treating her
still as a child, and she tried to think how she could make him realize
that she was not. He seemed quite surprised to hear that she had been
at work in the Synthesis ever since Tuesday. He complimented her
energy, and asked, not how she was getting on there, but how she liked
it; she answered stiffly, and she knew that he was ignoring her blunt
behavior as something she could not help, and that vexed her the more;
she wished to resist his friendliness because she did not deserve it.
She kept seeing how handsome he was, with his brilliant brown beard,
and his hazel eyes. There were points of sunny light in his eyes, when
he smiled, and then his teeth shone very white. He did not smile very
much; she liked his being serious and not making speeches; she wished
she could do something to make him think her less of an auk, but when
she tried, it was only worse. He did not say anything to let her think
he had changed his mind as to the wisdom of her coming to study art in
New York; and she liked that; she should have hated him if he had.

"Have you got that little Manet, yet?" Mr. Plaisdell broke in upon
them. "I was telling Miss Maybough about it."

"Yes," said Ludlow. "It's at my place. Why won't Miss Maybough and Miss
Saunders come and see it? You'll come, won't you, Miss Maybough?"

"If mamma will let me," said Charmian, meekly.

"Of course! Suppose we go ask her?"

The friends of Mrs. Maybough had now reduced themselves to Wetmore, who
sat beside her, looking over at the little tea-table group. Ludlow led
the rest toward her.

"What an imprudence," he called out, "when I'd just been booming you!
Now you come up in person to spoil everything."

Ludlow presented his petition, and Mrs. Maybough received it with her
provisional anxiety till he named the day for the visit. She said she
had an engagement for Saturday afternoon, and Ludlow ventured, "Then
perhaps you'd let the young ladies come with a friend of mine: Mrs.
Westley. She'll be glad to call for them, I'm sure."

"Mrs. Ge