notice that she was perfectly
dressed.

When she tripped down the stairs and across the pavement to the cab with
which he fetched her, Susie held up her skirt with a grace she flattered
herself was quite Parisian. As they drove along, she flirted a little
with her Spanish fan and stole a glance at herself in the glass. Her
gloves were so long and so new and so expensive that she was really
indifferent to Arthur's inattention.

Her joyous temperament expanded like a spring flower when she found
herself in the Opera House. She put up her glasses and examined the women
as they came into the boxes of the Grand Tier. Arthur pointed out a
number of persons whose names were familiar to her, but she felt the
effort he was making to be amiable. The weariness of his mouth that
evening was more noticeable because of the careless throng. But when
the music began he seemed to forget that any eye was upon him; he relaxed
the constant tension in which he held himself; and Susie, watching him
surreptitiously, saw the emotions chase one another across his face. It
was now very mobile. The passionate sounds ate into his soul, mingling
with his own love and his own sorrow, till he was taken out of himself;
and sometimes he panted strangely. Through the interval he remained
absorbed in his emotion. He sat as quietly as before and did not speak a
word. Susie understood why Arthur, notwithstanding his old indifference,
now showed such eager appreciation of music; it eased the pain he
suffered by transferring it to an ideal world, and his own grievous
sorrow made the music so real that it gave him an enjoyment of
extraordinary vehemence. When it was all over and Isolde had given her
last wail of sorrow, Arthur was so exhausted that he could hardly stir.

But they went out with the crowd, and while they were waiting in the
vestibule for space to move in, a common friend came up to them. This
was Arbuthnot, an eye-specialist, whom Susie had met on the Riviera and
who, she presently discovered, was a colleague of Arthur's at St Luke's.
He was a prosperous bachelor with grey hair and a red, contented face,
well-to-do, for his practice was large, and lavish with his money. He
had taken Susie out to luncheon once or twice in Monte Carlo; for he
liked women, pretty or plain, and she attracted him by her good-humour.
He rushed up to them now and wrung their hands. He spoke in a jovial
voice.

'The very people I wanted to see! Why haven't you bee