. Gardiner wore his play apron and his worsted bed slippers.
Bella--neither the little brother nor the old nurse had observed that
Bella had made herself a toilette. The dark hair carefully brushed and
combed, was tied back with a crimson ribbon, and below her short dress
shone out her dancing school blue stockings and her tight blue shoes.
Peering through the curtains, the children could see the dinner company
to their hearts' content. Bella viewed the great New Yorkers, murmuring
under her breath the names and wondering to whom they belonged. Judge
Noah Davis, famous for the breaking of the Tweed ring--him, Bella knew,
he was a frequent caller. There was a prelate of the Church and there
was some one whom Bella wanted especially to see--Cedersholm, Mr.
Cedersholm--which could he be? Which might he be? Little Gardiner's hand
was hot in hers. He whispered beseechingly--

"Come, Bella, come, I'm afwaid."

"Hear Jetty, Gardiner, be quiet."

And the bird's voice nearly drowned the murmur and the clamour of the
dining-room. Mr. Carew, resplendent in evening clothes, displayed upon
his shirt front the badge of the Spanish Society (a golden medal hung by
a silken band). It was formed and founded by the banker and he was proud
of his creation.

"Who would ever suppose that father didn't like company? Whoever would
think that you could be afraid of father!"

Suave, eloquent, Carew beamed upon his guests, and his little daughter
admired him extravagantly. His hair and beard were beautiful. Touching
the medal on his breast, Carew said--

"Carez is the old name, Cedersholm."

Cedersholm! Bella stared and listened.

"Yes, Carez, Andalusian, I believe, to be turned later in England into
Carew; and the bas-relief is an excellent bit of sculpturing."

Mr. Carew undid the medal and handed it to the guest on his right.

"Here, Cedersholm, what do you think of the bas-relief?"

Cedersholm, already famous in New York, faced Bella Carew and she saw
him plainly. This was the sculptor who could give Cousin Antony his
start, "his fair chance." He did not look a great man, as Bella thought
geniuses should look; not one of the guests looked as great and
beautiful as Cousin Antony. Why didn't they have him to the dinner, she
wondered loyally. Hasn't he got money enough? Perhaps because he was
lame.

Jetty was lame. He had broken his leg in the bars once upon a time. How
he sang! From his throat poured one ecstatic roulade after ano