recognized her, she bowed so violently and bent her head so
eagerly that above her the ostrich plumes dipped and
courtesied like wheat in a storm. But Sam neither bowed nor
courtesied. Instead, he turned his head slowly over his left
shoulder, as though he thought she was speaking not to him
but some one beyond him, across the aisle. And then his eyes
returned to the stage and did not again look toward her. It
was not the cut direct, but it was a cut that hurt; and in
their turn the eyes of Miss Flagg quickly sought the stage.
At the moment, the people in the audience happened to be
laughing; and she forced a smile and then laughed with them.

Out of the corner of his eye Sam could not help seeing her
profile exposed pitilessly in the glow of the foot-lights;
saw her lips tremble like those of a child about to cry; and
then saw the forced, hard smile--and heard her laugh lightly
and mechanically.

"That's all she cares." he told himself.

It seemed to him that in all he heard of her, in everything
she did, she kept robbing him still further of all that was
dear to him in Sister Anne.

For five minutes, conscious of the foot-lights, Miss Flagg
maintained upon her lovely face a fixed and intent
expression, and then slowly and unobtrusively drew back to a
seat in the rear of the box. In the' darkest recesses she
found Holworthy, shut off from a view of the stage by a
barrier of women's hats.