nd dots like these," she remarked with an equally irrelevant flash of
irritation.

"Of course I'll come for July if you ask me," replied Laura, ignoring
the question of the veil for the sake of the more important issue, "I
can't answer for Arnold, but I think it's rather what he's looking
forward to."

"Oh, he told me yesterday that he'd come if I could persuade you. He
didn't have the good manners to leave me in doubt as to what the
attraction for him would be."

Laura's happy laugh rewarded her. "This will be the first summer he's
spent in America for ten years," she replied, "so I hope he'll find me
worth the sacrifice of Europe."

"Then he's really given up his trip abroad for you?"

"There's hardly need to ask that--but don't you think it a quite
sufficient reason?"

"Oh, I guess so," returned Gerty carelessly. "Once I'd have been quite
positive about it, but that was in the days when I was a fool. Now I'm
not honestly sure that you're doing wisely to let him stay. A man is
perfectly capable of making a sacrifice for a woman in the heat of
emotion, but there are nine chances to one that he never forgives her
for it afterward. Take my advice, my dear, and simply _make_ him
go--shove the boat off yourself if there's no other way. He'll probably
love you ten times more while he's missing you than he will be able to
do through a long hot summer at your side."

"Gerty, Gerty, how little you know love!" said Laura.

"My dear, I never pretended to. I've given my undivided time and
attention to men."

"Well, he doesn't want in the least to go--he'll tell you so himself
when you see him--but I do wish that your views of life weren't quite so
awful."

Gerty was still critically regarding her appearance in the mirror, and
before answering she ran her hand lightly over the exquisite curve of
her hip in her velvet gown.

"I'm sorry they strike you that way," she responded amiably, "because
they are probably what your own will be five years from now. Then I may
positively count on you both for July?" she asked without the slightest
change in her flippant tone, "and I'll try to decoy Billy Lancaster for
August. He's still young enough to find the virgin forest congenial
company."

"But I thought Perry hated him!" exclaimed Laura, in surprise.

"He does--perfectly--but I can't see that you've made an argument out of
that. Billy's really very handsome--I wish you knew him--he's one of the
few men of my acquaintanc