y one of her advantages, Dr. Archie. Nobody can ever take
that away from her, and none of us who came later can ever hope to rival
Moonstone in the impression we make. Her scale of values will always be
the Moonstone scale. And, with an artist, that IS an advantage." Fred
nodded.

Dr. Archie looked at him seriously. "You mean it keeps them from getting
affected?"

"Yes; keeps them from getting off the track generally."

While the waiter filled the glasses, Fred pointed out to Thea a big
black French barytone who was eating anchovies by their tails at one of
the tables below, and the doctor looked about and studied his fellow
diners.

"Do you know, Mr. Ottenburg," he said deeply, "these people all look
happier to me than our Western people do. Is it simply good manners on
their part, or do they get more out of life?"

Fred laughed to Thea above the glass he had just lifted. "Some of them
are getting a good deal out of it now, doctor. This is the hour when
bench-joy brightens."

Thea chuckled and darted him a quick glance. "Benchjoy! Where did you
get that slang?"

"That happens to be very old slang, my dear. Older than Moonstone or the
sovereign State of Colorado. Our old friend Mr. Nathanmeyer could tell
us why it happens to hit you." He leaned forward and touched Thea's
wrist, "See that fur coat just coming in, Thea. It's D'Albert. He's just
back from his Western tour. Fine head, hasn't he?"

"To go back," said Dr. Archie; "I insist that people do look happier
here. I've noticed it even on the street, and especially in the hotels."

Fred turned to him cheerfully. "New York people live a good deal in the
fourth dimension, Dr. Archie. It's that you notice in their faces."

The doctor was interested. "The fourth dimension," he repeated slowly;
"and is that slang, too?"

"No,"--Fred shook his head,--"that's merely a figure. I mean that life
is not quite so personal here as it is in your part of the world. People
are more taken up by hobbies, interests that are less subject to
reverses than their personal affairs. If you're interested in Thea's
voice, for instance, or in voices in general, that interest is just the
same, even if your mining stocks go down."

The doctor looked at him narrowly. "You think that's about the principal
difference between country people and city people, don't you?"

Fred was a little disconcerted at being followed up so resolutely, and
he attempted to dismiss it with a pleasantry.