She came forward promptly, and yet with a little touching air of
hesitation, and accused him, in a serious low voice, of having
forgotten her. That, he returned, was ridiculous, an impossibility.
Pictures of her were in all the magazines. Close by her he recognized
that the sweetness was far from sugary; there were indications of a
determination that reached stubbornness; already there were faint
lines--skilfully covered--at the corners of her eyes, and she was
palpably, physically, weary. It was that, he decided, which gave her
the wistful charm. That and something more. She was considered, he
knew, and by the judges best qualified, to have a very sure and perfect
talent; and he had no doubt that that possession stamped and qualified
her.
He was obliged to attend to the cocktails; and, at his back, a gay
chatter of voices rose. He had fleeting impressions of very different
people: a strange man in naval uniform with the insignia of a
commander; Anette in a scanty sheath of satin from which an airy skirt
spread to the left like a fan; Alice Lucian sitting on the steps with
George Willard: Frank Carver remote and lost in his bitter thoughts;
Elsie Wayland with the gold halo of an income almost a dollar a minute.
Mina Raff, with Peyton Morris at her shoulder, smiled at him. "What an
adorable house," she pronounced; "I wish I could have it near the
studio.
Pages:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53