orrid, I
call them amusing or beastly or impossible. But your turn first. Give us
the Denver news."

* * * * *

After dinner that evening, in the midst of Italo's brilliant
performance, a caller came,--a thin, oldish, English-speaking lady whose
black dress made no pretense of following the fashion.

Aurora had met her at Mrs. Satterlee's during a meeting appointed to
raise funds for the Protestant orphanage. When this philanthropist,
after a little talk of other things, mentioned the relict of a mason,
left with five young children, Estelle and Dr. Bewick took it as a hint
to withdraw beyond earshot. The two ladies were left talking in
undertones; after a minute they found themselves alone in the room.

Estelle preceded Dr. Bewick across the hall to the dining-room, deserted
and orderly, where the drop-light rained its direct brightness only on
the rich and variegated tapestry cover of the table beneath it. From the
sideboard--whence the marble fruit had for some time been missing--she
brought a bottle of aerated water and a glass to set before him; she
found him an ash-tray, and seated herself beside the table near him in
such a way as to get, through the parted half-doors, a glimpse of the
visitor when she should leave.

Before speaking, she exchanged with the doctor a look of intelligence.

"You see what I mean?" she asked little above a whisper.

[Illustration: Aurora, with a comedy of pride, threw up her chin,
lifted her arms, and turned as if on a pivot, to show herself off
in her elegance]

Dr. Bewick looked all around the room with leisurely appraising eyes,
then nodded understanding. There was no intimation that he was not ready
to listen, but he did not seem quite ready to talk. His white
shirt-bosom was remarkably broad as he leaned back in his chair in the
slightly lolling fashion of large, good-humored men. For all the
nonchalance of his attitude, he looked, from evening tie to thin-soled
dress-boots, beautifully spruce, as Aurora had remarked, and made an
appropriate pendant to her in her Parisian finery.

Approval of him was written large on Estelle's pleasant, alert
countenance; a quiet, comprehensive liking for her sat as plainly in the
eyes reflecting her slim person and evening-frock of beaded net. Being
Nell's friends made them friends, a thing not so common as one wishes.
Through her they felt almost on the familiar terms of old friendship,
alth