ntroduced her as Julia, carelessly, as though of
course Archie knew the rest of it. The whole business was as utterly
unreal as anything could be. The Governor asked perfunctorily about her
drive into town, and whether it had been hot in the country. Dinner was
announced immediately and they sat down at a round table whose
centerpiece of sweet peas brought a coolness into the room.

The dinner was served with a deliberation befitting the end of a summer
day. Julia was the most tranquil of the trio and it was in Archie's mind
that she was capable of dominating even more difficult situations. She
was studying him--he was conscious of that--and it was clear that she
was not finding it easy to appraise and place him. The Governor had
given him no hint of the possible trend of the table talk but the woman
took the matter into her own hands. As though by prearrangement she
touched upon wholly impersonal matters, recent movements in European
affairs, a new novel, the industrial situation; things that could be
broached without fear of embarrassment were picked up and flung aside
when they had served their purpose. The Governor was often inattentive,
the most uncomfortable member of the trio. It seemed to Archie as he met
a puzzled look in Julia's eyes from time to time that she was still
trying to account for him, and her manner he thought slowly changed. Her
first defensive hostility yielded to something much more amiable. It was
as though she had reached a decision not wholly unflattering and might
be a little sorry for her earlier attitude.

The Governor roused himself presently at the mention of a new book of
verse she had praised, and threw himself into the talk thereafter with
characteristic spirit and humor.

"Mr. Comly shares my affection for the poets. He has been a great
resource to me, Julia. I'm sure you'd be grateful to him if you knew the
extent of his kindnesses. A new friend, but it's not always the old
ones, you know--"

"My brother is hard to please," said Julia. "You score high in meeting
his exacting requirements."

A slight smile dulled the irony of this, but the Governor, evidently
concerned for the maintenance of amity, introduced the art of the
Aztecs, to which he brought his usual enthusiasm.

The Aztecs carried them back to the drawing-room, where Archie, feeling
that the Governor and his sister probably had personal affairs to talk
about, lounged toward the door; but the Governor was quick to de