"No, but she was an easy second. She's a social climber; bound to get
there from the start."

"Is she pretty?"

"Devilish. She's a little thing. I saw her once at Homburg, on the
promenade with her mother.

"The kind of sweet blonde, I said to myself, that would mix a man up in a
duel before he knew where he was."

"She must be interesting."

"She was always clever, and she knows enough to play a straight game and
when to propitiate. I'll bet a five she tells Henderson whom to be good
to when the chance offers."

"Then her influence on him is good?"

"My dear sir, she gets what she wants, and Henderson is going to the.....
well, look at the lines in his face. I've known Henderson since he
came fresh into the Street. He'd rarely knife a friend when his first
wife was living. Now, when you see the old frank smile on his face, it's
put on."

It was half-past eight when Mr. Henderson with Mrs. Delancy on his arm
led the way to the diningroom. The procession was closed by Mrs.
Henderson and Mr. Delancy. The Van Dams were there, and Mrs. Chesney and
the Chesney girls, and Miss Tavish, who sat on Jack's right, but the rest