to congratulate himself on coming to Baden. Bernard, after the first
day, had asked his friend no questions. He had a great respect for
opportunity, coming either to others or to himself, and he left Gordon
to turn his lantern as fitfully as might be upon the subject which was
tacitly open between them, but of which as yet only the mere edges had
emerged into light. Gordon, on his side, seemed content for the moment
with having his clever friend under his hand; he reserved him for final
appeal or for some other mysterious use.

"You can't tell me you don't know her now," he said, one evening as the
two young men strolled along the Lichtenthal Alley--"now that you have
had a whole week's observation of her."

"What is a week's observation of a singularly clever and complicated
woman?" Bernard asked.

"Ah, your week has been of some use. You have found out she is
complicated!" Gordon rejoined.

"My dear Gordon," Longueville exclaimed, "I don't see what it signifies
to you that I should find Miss Vivian out! When a man 's in love, what
need he care what other people think of the loved object?"

"It would certainly be a pity to care too much. But there is some excuse
for him in the loved object being, as you say, complicated."

"Nonsense! That 's no excuse. The loved object is always complicated."

Gordon walked on in silence a moment.