efinite impression of her having come nearer.

"Winter sentiment!" he sneered, and hurried, for it was late.

VII

Lambert dropped in and lounged in a satin-covered chair while George
wrestled with his tie. He gave Lambert the freshest news from the
office, but his mind wasn't on business, nor, he guessed, was Lambert's.

"Blodgett does one rather well," Lambert said, glancing around the room.

George agreed.

"Only a marquise might feel more at ease in this room than a mere male."

He turned, smiling.

"I'm always afraid the furniture won't hold. Why should he have raised
such a monster?"

"Maybe," Lambert offered, "to have it ready for a wife."

"Who would marry him?" George flashed.

"Nearly any girl," Lambert said. "So much money irons out a lot of fat.
Then, when all's said and done, he's amusing and generous. He always
tries to please. Why? What's made you scornful of Josiah?"

"There are some things," George said, "that one oughtn't to be able to
buy with money."

Lambert arose, walked over to George, put his hands on his shoulders,
and stared at him quizzically.

"You're a curious brute."

"I know what you mean," George said, "but let me remind you that money
was just one of three things I started for."

Lambert's grasp tightened.

"And in a way you've got them all."

George shook off Lambert's grasp.

In a way!

"Let's go down."

In a way! It was rather cooling. It reminded him, too, that Squibs
Bailly remained unpaid; and there was Sylvia, only a trifle nearer, and
that, perhaps, in an eager imagination. Certainly he had forced some
success, but would he actually ever complete anything? Would he ever be
able to say I have acquired an exterior exactly as genuine as that one
inherits, or I am a great millionaire, or I have proved myself worthy of
all Squibs has given me, or I am Sylvia Planter's husband? Of course he
had succeeded, but only in a way. Where was his will that he couldn't
conquer altogether?

As he came down the stairs he saw Sylvia in a dazzling gown standing in
front of the great fireplace surrounded by a group which included
Dalrymple and Rogers who had managed an invitation and had just arrived
with Wandel. Wandel brought excuses from Goodhue. It was like Goodhue,
George thought, to avoid such a party.

Dalrymple smirked and chatted. George left Lambert and went straight to
them. Sylvia could always be depended upon to be gracious to Dalrymple.
She glanced at Ge