le whom she knew already--the Parsonses, and some of Gregory
Williams's former associates, whom she had met at the old house. It was
a pleasant dinner, apparently, to all except Selma. The entertainment
was flatteringly lavish, and both the host and hostess with suavity put
in circulation, under the rose, the sentiment that there are no friends
like old friends--a graceful insincerity which most of them present
accepted as true. Indeed, in one sense it was not an insincerity, for
Gregory and his wife entertained cordial feelings toward them all. But
on the other hand, Selma's immediate and bitter conclusion was also
true, that the company had been invited together for the reason that, in
the opinion of Flossy, they would not have harmonized well with anyone
else.

Said Wilbur as they drove away from the house--"Barring a few moments of
agony in the society of my tormentor, Mrs. Parsons, I had a pleasant
evening. They were obviously potting their old acquaintance in one pie,
but to my thinking it was preferable to being sandwiched in between some
of their new friends whom we do not know and who know nothing of us. It
was a little evident, but on the whole agreeable."

Selma, shrouded in her wraps, made no reply at first. Suddenly she
exclaimed, with, fierceness, "I consider it rank impertinence. It was as
much as to say that they do not think us good enough to meet their new
friends."

Littleton, who still found difficulty in remembering that his wife would
not always enjoy the humor of an equivocal situation, was sorry that he
had spoken. "Come, Selma," he said, "there's no use in taking that view
of the matter. You would not really care to meet the other people."

"Yes, I would, and she knows it. I shall never enter her house again."

"As to that, my dear, the probabilities are that we shall not be asked
for some time. You know perfectly well that, in the nature of things,
your intimacy with Mrs. Williams must languish now that she lives at a
distance and has new surroundings. She may continue to be very fond of
you, but you can't hope to see very much of her, unless I am greatly
mistaken in her character."

"She is a shallow little worldling," said Selma, with measured
intensity.

"But you knew that already. The fact that she invited us to dinner and
did not ignore our existence altogether shows that she likes us and
wishes to continue the friendship. I've no doubt she believes that she
is going to see a great