th George Wayne and Iole, I was perfectly bewildered and enchanted
to see so many delightful-looking men. And by and by Iole missed me, and
George came back and found me standing entranced on the corner of Fifth
Avenue; and I said, "Please don't disturb me, George, because I am only
standing here to enjoy the sight of so many agreeable-looking men." But
he acted so queerly about it." She ended with a little sigh. "However,
I love George, of course, even if he does bore me. I wonder where they
are now--the bridal pairs?"

"I wonder," mused Philodice, "whether they have any children by this
time?"

"Not yet," explained Aphrodite. "But they'll probably have some when
they return. I understand it takes a good many weeks--to----"

"To find new children," nodded Chlorippe confidently. "I suppose they've
hidden the cunning little things somewhere on the yacht, and it's like
hunt the thimble and lots and lots of fun." And she distributed six
oranges.

Lissa was not so certain of that, but, discussing the idea with Cybele,
and arriving at no conclusion, devoted herself to the large juicy orange
with more satisfaction, conscious that the winter's outlook was bright
for them all and full of the charming mystery of anticipations so
glittering yet so general that she could form not even the haziest ideas
of their wonderful promise. And so, sucking the sunlit pulp of their
oranges, they were content to live, dream, and await fulfilment under
the full favor of a Heaven which had never yet sent them aught but
happiness beneath the sun.

[Illustration]

VI

[Illustration]

Neither Lethbridge nor Harrow--lately exceedingly important
undergraduates at Harvard and now twin nobodies in the employment of the
great Occidental Fidelity and Trust Company--neither of these young men,
I say, had any particular business at the New Arts Theater that
afternoon.

For the play was Barnard Haw's _Attitudes_, the performance was private
and intensely intellectual, the admission by invitation only, and
between the acts there was supposed to be a general _causerie_ among the
gifted individuals of the audience.

Why Stanley West, president of the Occidental Trust, should have
presented to his two young kinsmen the tickets inscribed with his own
name was a problem, unless everybody else, including the elevator boys,
had politely declined the offer.

"That's probably the case," observed Lethbridge. "Do we go?"

"Art," said Harrow