r his embarrassment, first in finding
the two women face to face, then in coming so unexpectedly face to
face with them, and lastly in being caught by Barbara coming home at
this unexpected hour. Knowing what the situation must mean to her he
admired her the more for her sangfroid and social flexibility.

She took all the difficulties on herself. "Letty and I have been
making friends, and are going to know each other awfully well, aren't
we?" A smile at Letty drew forth Letty's smile, to Rashleigh's
satisfaction, and somewhat to his bewilderment. But Barbara, handing
him a cup of tea, addressed him directly. "Who do you think is
engaged? Guess."

He guessed, and guessed wrong. He guessed a second time, and guessed
wrong. There followed a conversation about people they knew, with
regard to which Letty was altogether an outsider. Now and then she
recognized great names which she had read in the papers, tossed back
and forth without prefixes of Mr. or Miss, and often with pet
diminutives. The whole represented a closed corporation of intimacies
into which she could no more force her way than a worm into a billiard
ball. Rash who was at first beguiled by the interchange of
personalities began to experience a sense of discomfort that Letty
should be so discourteously left out; but Barbara knew that it was
best for both to force the lesson home. Rash must be given to
understand how lost he would be with any outsider as his companion;
and Letty must be made to realize how hopelessly an outsider she would
always be.

But no lesson should be urged to the quick at a single sitting, so
that Barbara broke off suddenly to ask why he had come home. In the
same way as she had given the order to William she spoke with the
authority of one at liberty to ask the question. Not to give the real
reason he said that it was to write a letter and change his clothes.

"And you're going back to the Club?"

He replied that he was going to dine with a bachelor friend at his
apartment.

"Then I'll wait and drop you at the Club. You can go on from there
afterwards. I've got the time."

This too was said with an authority against which he felt himself
unable to appeal.

Having written a note and changed to his dinner jacket he rejoined
them in the drawing-room. Barbara held out her hand to Letty, with a
briskness indicating relief.

"So glad we had our drive. I shall come soon again. I wish it could be
to-morrow, but my aunt will be usin