delicately spiral shavings, sprinkled with silver spangles or flakes of
isinglass, and covered by a piece of pale blue illusion. This device--
peculiarly Genevese--was supposed to represent a waterfall.

"Take a match and touch it off," suggested Flemming.

"If we had some more flowers, now"--"Exactly. I am going to the hotel to
get myself up like a head-waiter, and I'll bring some when I come back."

In an hour afterwards Flemming reappeared, followed by a youth bearing
an immense basket. Lynde removed the Alpine waterfall to an adjoining
chamber, and built up a huge fire of flame-colored flowers in the grate.
The two friends were standing in the middle of the room, gravely
contemplating the effect, when a servant opened the door and announced
Mrs. and Miss Denham. A rustle of drapery at the threshold was followed
by the entrance of the two ladies in ceremonious dinner toilets.

Lynde had never seen Miss Denham in any but a dark travelling-dress, or
in such unobtrusive costume as a modest girl may wear at a hotel table.
He stood motionless an instant, seeing her in a trailing robe of some
fleecy, maize-colored material, with a cluster of moss-roses at her
corsage and a cross of diamonds at her throat. She was without other
ornament. The shade of her dress made her hair and eyes and complexion
wonderful. Lynde was proud to have her look like that for Flemming,
though he was himself affected by a queer impression that this queenly
young person was not the simple, lovely girl he had known all along. He
was embarrassed by her unexpected elegance, but he covered his
embarrassment and his pleasure by presenting his friend to the ladies,
and ordering the servant to serve the dinner immediately.