at. It isn't always cleverness we learn from."

"Goodness then!"

Charmian forced herself to smile.

"Do you think me far below Claude from the moral point of view?" she
added, with an attempt at laughing lightness.

"It isn't that either. But I think he has let out an anchor which
reaches bottom, though perhaps at present he isn't aware of it. And I'm
not sure that you ever have. By the way, I've a message from Adelaide
for you."

"Yes?"

"She wants to know how your rehearsals are going."

"Wonderfully well, as I said."

Charmain spoke almost gravely. Her exultant enthusiasm had died away for
the moment.

"And, if it is allowed, she would like to go to one. Can she?"

Charmian hesitated. But the strong desire for Mrs. Shiffney's verdict
overcame a certain suddenly born reluctance of which she was aware, and
she said:

"I should think so. Why not? Even a spy cannot destroy the merit of the
enemy's work by wishing."

Susan said nothing to this.

"You must come with her if she does come," Charmian added.

She was still feeling hurt. She had looked upon Susan as her very
special friend. She had let Susan see into her heart. And now she
realized that Susan had criticized that heart. At that moment Charmian
was too unreasonable to remember that criticism is often an
inevitable movement of the mind which does not touch the soul to change
it. Her attempt at cordiality was, therefore, forced.

"I don't know whether she will want me," said Susan. "But at any rate I
shall be there for the first night."

"Ah--the first night!" said Charmian.

Again she changed. With the thought of the coming epoch in her life and
Claude's her vexation died.

"It's coming so near!" she said. "There are moments when I want to rush
toward it, and others when I wish it were far away. It's terrible when
so much hangs on one night, just three or four hours of time. One does
need courage in art. But Claude has found it. Yes, Susan, you are right.
Claude is finer than I am. He is beginning to dominate me here, as he
never dominated me before. If he triumphs--and he will, he shall
triumph!--I believe I shall be quite at his feet."

She laughed, but tears were not far from her eyes. This period she was
passing through in New York was tearing at her nerves with teeth and
claws although she scarcely knew it.

Susan, who had seen clearly the hurt she had inflicted, moved, came
nearer to Charmian, and gently took one of her hands.