she said
gaily. She led the way back into the gallery, half hoping the dealer
would allege a pressing reason for departure. She was excited and amused
at Moffatt's unexpected appearance, but humiliated that he should
suspect her of being in financial straits. She never wanted to see
Moffatt except when she was happy and triumphant.

The dealer had followed the other two into the gallery, and there was a
moment's pause while they all stood silently before the tapestries. "By
George!" Moffatt finally brought out.

"They're historical, you know: the King gave them to Raymond's
great-great-grandfather. The other day when I was in Paris," Undine
hurried on, "I asked Mr. Fleischhauer to come down some time and tell us
what they're worth ... and he seems to have misunderstood ... to have
thought we meant to sell them." She addressed herself more pointedly to
the dealer. "I'm sorry you've had the trip for nothing."

Mr. Fleischhauer inclined himself eloquently. "It is not nothing to have
seen such beauty."

Moffatt gave him a humorous look. "I'd hate to see Mr. Fleischhauer miss
his train--"

"I shall not miss it: I miss nothing," said Mr. Fleischhauer. He bowed
to Undine and backed toward the door.

"See here," Moffatt called to him as he reached the threshold, "you let
the motor take you to the station, and charge up this trip to me."

When the door closed he turned to Undine with a laugh. "Well, this beats
the band. I thought of course you were living up in Paris."

Again she felt a twinge of embarrassment. "Oh, French people--I mean my
husband's kind--always spend a part of the year on their estates."

"But not this part, do they? Why, everything's humming up there now.
I was dining at the Nouveau Luxe last night with the Driscolls and
Shallums and Mrs. Rolliver, and all your old crowd were there whooping
things up."

The Driscolls and Shallums and Mrs. Rolliver! How carelessly he reeled
off their names! One could see from his tone that he was one of them
and wanted her to know it. And nothing could have given her a completer
sense of his achievement--of the number of millions he must be worth.
It must have come about very recently, yet he was already at ease in his
new honours--he had the metropolitan tone. While she examined him with
these thoughts in her mind she was aware of his giving her as close a
scrutiny. "But I suppose you've got your own crowd now," he continued;
"you always WERE a lap ahead of me." H