Mr. Westgate all this time had not, as they said at Newport, "come on."
His wife more than once announced that she expected him on the morrow;
but on the morrow she wandered about a little, with a telegram in her
jeweled fingers, declaring it was very tiresome that his business detained him
in New York; that he could only hope the Englishmen were having a good time.
"I must say," said Mrs. Westgate, "that it is no thanks to him if you are."
And she went on to explain, while she continued that slow-paced
promenade which enabled her well-adjusted skirts to display themselves
so advantageously, that unfortunately in America there was no leisure class.
It was Lord Lambeth's theory, freely propounded when the young men
were together, that Percy Beaumont was having a very good time with
Mrs. Westgate, and that, under the pretext of meeting for the purpose
of animated discussion, they were indulging in practices that imparted
a shade of hypocrisy to the lady's regret for her husband's absence.

"I assure you we are always discussing and differing,"
said Percy Beaumont. "She is awfully argumentative.
American ladies certainly don't mind contradicting you.
Upon my word I don't think I was ever treated so by a woman before.
She's so devilish positive."

Mrs. Westgate's positive quality, however, evidently had
its attractions, for Beaumont was constantly at his hostess's side.
He detached himself one day to the extent of going to New
York to talk over the Tennessee Central with Mr. Westgate;
but he was absent only forty-eight hours, during which,
with Mr. Westgate's assistance, he completely settled this piece
of business. "They certainly do things quickly in New York,"
he observed to his cousin; and he added that Mr. Westgate
had seemed very uneasy lest his wife should miss her visitor--