"That's all very well," said the other. "But you have no right to
inflict such a man upon Alice."

"Oh, stuff!" said Oliver. "She'll meet him at Newport this summer,
anyway. How could I introduce him anywhere else, if I wasn't willing
to introduce him here? He won't hurt Alice. He gave her a good time
this evening, and I wager she'll like him before he gets through.
He's really a good-natured chap; the chief trouble with him is that
he gets confidential."

Montague relapsed into silence, and Oliver changed the subject. "It
seems too bad about Lucy," he said. "Is there nothing we can do
about it?"

"Nothing," said the other.

"She is simply ruining herself," said Oliver. "I've been trying to
get Reggie Mann to have her introduced to Mrs. Devon, but he says he
wouldn't dare to take the risk."

"No, I presume not," said Montague.

"It's a shame," said Oliver. "I thought Mrs. Billy Alden would ask
her to Newport this summer, but now I don't believe she'll have a
thing to do with her. Lucy will find she knows nobody except Stanley
Ryder and his crowd. She has simply thrown herself away."

Montague shrugged his shoulders. "That's Lucy's way," he said.

"I suppose she'll have a good time," added the other. "Ryder is