an, and if she thought of
Chris at all it was to imagine what he would think of these changes, and
to fancy what he would say of them, when they met. No purely visionary
meeting can hold the element of passion, and so it was a remote and
spiritualized Chris of whom Norma came to think, far removed from the
actual man of flesh and blood.

Her call upon Annie she made with a mental reserve of cheerful
explanation and apology ready for Annie's first reproach. Norma never
could quite forget the extraordinary relationship in which she stood to
Annie; and, perhaps half consciously, was influenced by the belief that
some day the brilliant and wonderful Mrs. von Behrens would come to know
of it, too.

But Annie, who happened to be at home, and had other callers, rapidly
dashed Norma's vague and romantic anticipations by showing her only the
brisk and aloof cordiality with which she held at bay nine tenths of her
acquaintance. Annie's old butler showed Norma impassively to the little
drawing-room that was tucked in beyond the big one; two or three
strangers eyed the newcomer cautiously, and Annie merely accorded her a
perfunctory welcome. They were having tea.

"Well, how do you do? How very nice of you, Norma. Do you know Mrs.
Theodore Thayer, and Mrs. Thayer, and Miss Bishop? Katrina, this is--the
name is still Sheridan, isn't it, Norma?--this is Mrs. Sheridan, who was
with Mama and Leslie last summer. You have lots of sugar and cream,
Norma, of course--all youngsters do. And you're near the toast----" And
Annie, dismissing her, leaned back in her chair, and dropped her voice
to the undertone that Norma had evidently interrupted. "Do go on,
Leila," she said, to the older of the three women, "that's quite
delicious! I heard something of it, but I knew of course that there was
more----"

A highly flavoured little scandal was in process of construction. Norma
knew the principals slightly; the divorced woman, and the second husband
from whom she had borrowed money to loan the first. She could join in
the laughter that broke out presently, while she tried to identify her
companions. The younger Mrs. Thayer had been the Miss Katrina Davenport
of last month's brilliant wedding. Pictures of her had filled the
illustrated weeklies, and all the world knew that she and her husband
were preparing to leave for a wonderful home in Hawaii, where the family
sugar interests were based. They were to cross the continent, Norma
knew, in the