ess himself beaten by Mr. Harley to the San Reve. She
must continue to wonder at and worship him; it was the incense demanded
by the nostrils of his self-love.

"How do I stand with those Harleys, my San Reve?" Storri's tone was
supercilious and tired, as though he had been forced to remember ones
who wearied him by vulgarest dint of their inconsequence. "I do not
stand with the Harleys, I stand upon them. Where should such crawling,
footless creatures be?" and Storri pointed to his own somewhat ample
foundations as indicating the groveling whereabouts of the Harleys.

"But you go there?" remarked the San Reve, flintily suspicious.

"No, my San Reve," yawned Storri. "Pardon my grossness;--a yawn in the
presence of a lady, and I a Russian gentleman! I took the habit from
these pig Americans! You should know, my dear San Reve, that the very
name of Harley bores me. No, I shall no more go to those Harleys. They
send, they beg; I do not go. Why should I so honor them? Bah! let them
come to me! Is a Russian--is a nobleman to be at the beck of such vile
little people? No, they must come to me, your Storri, my San Reve; and
when they arrive, bah! I shall not see them. I shall tell them they must
come again!" And Storri lifted his hand grandly, as though the Harleys
were now disposed of and their trivial status fixed.

Storri threw this off with a lazy insolence that, all things considered,
did him credit. And yet he was not wise. He might not have told the San
Reve that he had ended his visits to the Harleys, but her bold brow and
thoughtful face misled him. He regarded her as deeper than she was; he
considered that she would soon discover how he no longer was a guest at
the Harley table, and thought to save himself from an inference by a
proclamation. He would take the initiative and seem to cast the Harleys
into the outer darkness of his disregard. It would make for his standing
with the San Reve; more, it would soothe her jealousies.

Storri might have been justified of his reasonings had there existed no
flaw in his premises. The San Reve was far from being gifted with that
cold, incisive wisdom which he ascribed to her. Given a situation
wherein the San Reve had no concern, and she would be sound enough; her
speculations would defend themselves, her advice be worth a following.
Endow the San Reve with a personal interest, the more if that interest
were one mixed of love and jealousy, and her reason, if that be its
nam