dressing-table," returned Aunt Victoria more forcibly than she usually
expressed herself. "You look vastly better with the straight lines
of your plain white dresses. You have a great deal of style, Sylvia.
Judith is handsomer than you, but she will never have any style." This
verdict, upon both the Huberts and herself, delivered with a serious
accent of mature deliberation, impressed Sylvia. It was one of the
speeches she was to ponder.

Although Professor Marshall showed himself noticeably negligent in the
matter of introducing his colleagues to his sister, it was only two
or three days before Aunt Victoria's half-hours of waiting before the
Main Building had other companionship than Sylvia's. This was due to
the decisive action of young Professor Saunders, just back from the
British Museum, where, at Professor Marshall's suggestion, he had been
digging up facts about the economic history of the twelfth century in
England. Without waiting for an invitation he walked straight up to
the carriage with the ostensible purpose of greeting Sylvia, who was a
great favorite of his, and who in her turn had a romantic admiration
for the tall young assistant. Of all the faculty people who frequented
the Marshall house, he and old Professor Kennedy were the only people
whom Sylvia considered "stylish," and Professor Kennedy, in spite of
his very high connection with the aristocracy of La Chance, was so
cross and depressed that really his "style" did not count. She was
now greatly pleased by the younger professor's public and cordial
recognition of her, and, with her precocious instinct for social ease,
managed to introduce him to her aunt, even adding quaintly a phrase
which she had heard her mother use in speaking of him, "My father
thinks Professor Saunders has a brilliant future before him."

This very complimentary reference had not the effect she hoped for,