continually dwelt
on Rose Euclid in admiration. Apparently, all she needed in this
valley was oysters and admiration, and she now had both in unlimited
quantities.

"Oysters are darlings," she said, as she swallowed the first.

Carlo Trent kissed her hand, respectfully--for she was old enough to
be his mother.

"And you are the greatest tragic actress in the world, Ra-ose!" said
he in the Kensingtonian bass.

A few moments earlier Rose Euclid had whispered to Edward Henry that
Carlo Trent was the greatest dramatic poet in the world. She flowered
now beneath the sun of those dark lustrous eyes and the soft rain
of that admiration from the greatest dramatic poet in the world. It
really did seem to Edward Henry that she grew younger. Assuredly she
grew more girlish and her voice improved. And then the bottles
began to pop, and it was as though the action of uncorking wine
automatically uncorked hearts also. Mr. Seven Sachs, sitting square
and upright, smiled gaily at Edward Henry across the gleaming table
and raised a glass. Little Marrier, who at nearly all times had a most
enthusiastic smile, did the same. In the result five glasses met over
the central bed of chrysanthemums. Edward Henry was happy. Surrounded
by enigmas--for he had no conception whatever why Rose Euclid had
brought any of the three men to his table--he was nevertheless
uplifted.

As he looked about him, at the rich table, and at the glittering
chandelier overhead (albeit the lamps thereof were inferior to his
own), and at the expanses of soft carpet, and at the silken-textured
walls, and at the voluptuous curtains, and at the couple of impeccable
gentlemen in-waiting, and at Joseph, who knew his place behind his
master's chair--he came to the justifiable conclusion that money was
a marvellous thing, and the workings of commerce mysterious and
beautiful. He had invented the Five Towns Thrift Club; working men
and their wives in the Five Towns were paying their twopences
and sixpences and shillings weekly into his club, and finding
the transaction a real convenience--and lo! he was entertaining
celebrities at Wilkins's.

For, mind you, they were celebrities. He knew Seven Sachs was a
celebrity because he had verily seen him act--and act very well--in
his own play, and because his name in letters a foot high had
dominated all the hoardings of the Five Towns. As for Rose Euclid,
could there be a greater celebrity? Such was the strange power of the