Mr. Crane, especially the two Californians, and
redoubled their envy of the fortunate Adelle in having this handsome
substitute for a parent. They called him her "beau," by which
designation Mr. Ashly Crane was henceforth known among Pussy Comstock's
girls during their sojourn in London.

He had not made quite the same favorable impression upon Miss Comstock,
who was acquainted with all sorts and conditions of men. The two
recognized immediately an antagonism of interests, and spent this first
evening of their acquaintance in reconnoitering each other's position
with Adelle. "Little bounder," Miss Comstock pronounced with the quick
perception of a woman; "he's after the girl's money." While the man said
to himself, with the more ponderous indirectness of the male,--"That
woman is not quite the influence that an unformed girl should have about
her. She's working the girl, too, for motors and things." And yet both
smiled and joked companionably across the shoulders of the unconscious
Adelle.

As the trust officer returned to his hotel in his hansom, he jingled a
few stray coins in his pocket, the remains of twenty pounds in gold that
the day had cost him. A long education in finance, however, had taught
him to be indifferent to these petty matters of preliminary expense.
Nevertheless, before retiring he entered up the sum to the Clark estate
expense account. Poor Adelle, dreaming of her "beau"! Her first real
spree with a man was charged to her own purse.

XVIII

There were many similar items added to the account during the next
fortnight. It seemed that Mr. Ashly Crane had nothing better to do with
his European vacation than to give Miss Clark and her companions a good
time, or, as he intimated to Miss Comstock, "to get into closer touch
with the company's ward." Naturally he was a godsend to the Comstock
girls, for he could take them to places where without a man they could
not go. There was a mild orgy of motoring, dining, and theater. Pussy
Comstock, experienced campaigner that she was, made no objection to this
junketing. A fixed principle with her was to let any man spend his money
as freely as he was inclined to. Yet she skillfully so contrived that
the young banker had few opportunities of solitary communion with his
ward. At first Mr. Crane did not understand why the Glynn girl or one of
the Paul sisters was always in the way, and then he comprehended the
artful maneuver of the woman and resented it.