We'll drop into Sherry's now for a cup of tea and a buttered English
muffin and the beautiful ladies and the Hungarian Band. Then, instead
of dining there, suppose we go to some gayer, more typical New York
place--one of the big Broadway restaurants? That will show you another
'phase,' as you say; and the cooking is almost as good."

She agreed at once. "I think I'd like that," she said. "I want as much
variety as I can get."

He leaned toward her impressively over the little table in the tea-
room, recalling her unexpected tribute to the "perfect companion," and
feeling all at once surprisingly well acquainted with her.

"What a pity you've got to go away tonight!" he murmured, ingenuously.
"There's so much left to do."

For an instant, as memory rolled over her, her heart stopped beating.
He observed her change of expression and looked at her with a
sympathetic question in his gray eyes.

"Can't you change your plans?" he suggested, hopefully. "Must you go?"

"No, they're not that kind of plans. I must go."

As she spoke her face had the colorlessness and the immobility he had
seen in it during the first moments it was turned toward him in the
morning, and her features suddenly looked old and drawn. Under the
revelation of a trouble greater than he could understand, the boy
dropped his eyes.