"What do you think of Mr. Shenstone?" she asked when they
were alone.
"No wonder you're enthusiastic about him. As he talked to me, I could
hardly keep from laughing. It was your own views, almost your own words. He
has the look of a great man. I think he will 'arrive,' as they say in the
Bowery."
Howard went out of his way to be agreeable to Shenstone, often inviting him
to the house and giving him a commission to paint Marian. For the rest of
the winter Shenstone was constantly in Marian's company; so constantly that
they were gossiped about, and all the women who were unpleasantly discussed
"for cause" conspired to throw them together as much as possible.
One evening in the very end of the winter, Howard called to Marian from his
dressing room: "Why, lady, Shenstone's gone, hasn't he? I've just read a
note from him."
There was a pause before Marian answered in a constrained voice: "Yes, he
sailed to-day."
Howard was tying his bow. He paused at the curious tone, then smiled
mysteriously to himself. He put on his waistcoat and coat and knocked on
the half-open door. "May I come in?" he asked.
"Yes--I'm waiting for dinner to be announced."
She was sitting before the fire, very beautiful in her evening gown. She
seemed not to observe that he had entered but stared on into the flames.
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