"If you could see your way to--ah--accede to some--a number--perhaps, in
a measure, to all of Miss Seagrave's not unreasonable requests, Mr.
Tappan----"

[Illustration: "'Can I have what other women have--silk underwear and
stockings?'"]

He hesitated, looked dubiously at Mr. Montross, who nodded. Mr. Cray,
also, made an almost imperceptible sign of concurrence. Magnelius
Grandcourt, the sixty-year _enfant terrible_ of the company, dreaded
for his impulsive outbursts--though the effect of these outbursts was
always very carefully considered before-hand--stepped jauntily across
the floor, and lifting Geraldine's hand to his rather purplish lips,
saluted it with a flourish.

"Oh, I say, Tappan, let Miss Seagrave have what she wants!" he exclaimed
with a hearty disregard of caution, which outwardly disturbed but
inwardly deceived nobody except Geraldine and Mrs. Severn.

Colonel Mallett thought: "The acquisitive beast is striking attitudes on
his fool of a son's account."

Mr. Tappan's small iron-gray eyes bored two holes through the inward
motives of Mr. Grandcourt, and his mouth tightened till the seamed lips
were merely a line.

"I think, Magnelius," said Colonel Mallett coldly, "that it is, perhaps,
the sense of our committee that the time has practically arrived for
some change--perhaps radical change--in the--in the--ah--the hitherto
exceedingly wise regulations----"