wouldn't it, of what your ideal of a woman is."

"For five cents," said Hugo, "I will tell you her name."

She was pleased with the evidences of her mastery over him. The day of
intimacy brought its reactions, automatically creating romantic airs.
When the time came for him to go, she was sorry; and perhaps just a
little uncertain in her own mind. For the re-engagement had still not
taken place. The most that could be said was that an "understanding"
existed, to the effect that it would take place on his return. And
Canning, for his part, was not dissatisfied with this arrangement. In
ten days he would come again, and take the wavering outposts by storm.

They said good-bye in the drawing-room at home, at quarter before five.
Cally held out her slender little hand. Hugo smiled down at it: surely,
between him and her, an odd farewell. But then, as his clasp tightened,
the man's smile became a little twisted on his handsome lip.

"When I part from you again, my dear," said he, with sudden huskiness,
"I swear it won't be like this."

The girl looked up at him. He raised the hand, palm-upward, with a sort
of jerk, kissed it, dropped it abruptly, and was gone.

Cally remained standing where he had left her; this time she did not run
to the window. She glanced at the hand which her lover had just saluted,
and was conscious of a subtle want in their reunion....

Hugo's presence in the body had brought up vividly that matter upon
which they had broken in May. Of that matter he had said nothing, either
yesterday or to-day. His manner and bearing took the clear position that
he and she had simply had a lovers' quarrel, in which both had said and
done things that they did not mean. But Jack Dalhousie had stood in the
background of Carlisle's mind all day, and her feeling was that
something rather definite should have been said about him. Possibly Mrs.
Berkeley Page had something to do with this; that lady had left behind
her an indefinable suggestion of invisible standards, of appraisements
differing from mamma's, say. Measuring herself unconsciously with Hugo
to-day, Cally had become aware that in carrying out her will in
opposition to his last year, she had derived, not merely strategic, but
in some way personal, strength. The old inequality had mysteriously
disappeared....

Mrs. Heth came gliding through the portieres from the hall. Her face was
one vast inquiry, lit by beams; it made an uproarious demand such as a
chi