ointed, but she means they shall all come to her first, and this
is why she will not meet Floyd Grandon at his friend's reception. There
is another cause of offence in the fact that through a two months'
acquaintance he should never have mentioned his own aims and plans and
achievements. If she could only have guessed this! She is mortified at
her own lack of discernment.

Laura is in the next morning. Madame has chosen a gown that throws a
pallid shade over her complexion, and she has just the right degree of
languor.

"Oh," she declares, "you have come to make me wretched, I see it in
your blooming, triumphant face! You had a positively grand evening with
all your _savants_ and people of culture. Is your German a real lion in
society, or only in his native wilds?"

"Well, I think he is a real lion," with a fashionable amount of
hesitation. "You positively do look ill, you darling, and I was not at
all sure about the headache last night."

"Did you suppose--why, I could have sent an excuse if I had not wanted
to go," and madame opens her eyes with a tint of amaze. "Everybody else
was there, of course. Did your brother bring his wife? A reception is
not a party."

"He had better taste than that, my dear. He would not even bring
Marcia, though she was dying to come. It was for the very _creme_,
you know. I'm not frantically in love with such things, only the name
of having gone. Do you know that Floyd is rather of the leonine order?
Isn't it abominable that he should have made such a social blunder? The
only comfort is, she is or ought to be in deep mourning, and cannot go
out anywhere. Why, we gave up all invitations last winter."

"I wonder, Laura dear, if I would dare ask a favor of your mother? It
might be a little rest and change, and yet--I am just selfish enough to
consider my own pleasure; I should like to invite her down for a
fortnight, and give two or three little spreads, don't you young people
call them? You see I am not quite up in slang. A dinner and one or two
little teas, and an at home evening, something to say to people that I
am really here, though there have been several cards left, and I _must_
get well for Thursday. How stupid to indulge in such an inane freak
when I have uninterruptedly good health."

"Oh, I am sure mamma would be delighted! Why, it is lovely in you to
think of it, instead of taking in some poky old companion."

"I am not very fond of companions. I like visitors best. I d