thousand flower scents
in the drowsy garden. It was hot enough for the most summery dresses
and cool enough for a summer fur. What more could be desired?

Bainbridge was expectant. It was known that Miss Campion was excelling
herself in honor of her nephew's bride, and the bride herself was
alluringly rumored to be a personality. It is doubtful if anyone really
believed the "part Indian" suggestion, but there were those who liked
to dally with it. Its possibility was a taste of lemon on a cloyed
tongue.

"They say she is part Indian--fancy, a Spence!"

"Nonsense. I asked Dr. Rogers about it and he made me feel pretty
foolish. The truth is--her parents are both English. The father is a
doctor, at one time a most celebrated physician in London."

"Physicians who are celebrated in London usually stay there."

"And I am sure she is dark enough."

"Not with that skin! And her eyes are grey."

"Oh, I admit she's pretty--if you like that style. I wonder where she
gets her clothes?"

"Where they know how to make them, anyway. Did you notice that smoke
colored georgette she wore on Sunday? Not a scrap of relief anywhere.
Not even around the neck."

"It's the latest. I went right home and ripped the lace off mine. But
it made me look like a skinned rabbit, so I put it back. I don't see
why fashions are always made for sweet and twenty!"

"Twenty? She's twenty-five if she's a day. For myself I can't say that
I like to see young people so sure of themselves. A bride, too!"

"They say Mrs. Stopford Brown hasn't had a card for the reception."

"Did she tell you so?"

"Oh, no! But she let it drop that she thought it was on the seventh
instead of the eighth."

"Plow funny! Serve her right. It's about time she knew she isn't quite
everybody...."

Desire, herself, was unperturbed. To her direct and unself-conscious
mind there was no reason why she should excite herself. These people,
to whom she was so new, were equally new to her. The interest might be
expected to be mutual. Any picture of herself as affected by their
personal opinions had not obtruded itself. She was prepared to like
them; hoped they would like her, but was not actively concerned with
whether they did or not. She had lived too far away from her kind to
feel the impact of their social aura. Besides, she had other things to
think about.

First of all, there was Mary. She found that she had to think about
Mary a great deal. She did not want to, but t