"He has an intelligent eye," continued she, a little more thoughtfully.
"He may be able to see more than we think. I insist that you all
be very careful. Aunt will suspect something, if he doesn't, and
may put him on his guard."

Mr. Hemstead soon returned, for it was plain that his toilets were
exceedingly simple. The elegance wanting in his manners was still
more clearly absent from his dress. The material was good, but
had evidently been put together by a country tailor, who limped a
long way behind the latest mode. What was worse, his garments were
scarcely ample enough for his stalwart form. Altogether he made in
some externals a marked contrast to the city exquisite, who rather
enjoyed standing beside him that this contrast might be seen.

To Lottie he appeared excessively comical as he stalked in and around,
trying vainly to appear at ease. And yet the thought occurred to
her, "If he only knew what to do with his colossal proportions--knew
how to manage them--he would make an imposing-looking man." And when
De Forrest posed beside him just before they went out to tea, even
this thought flashed across her, "Julian, seems like an elegant
manikin beside a man." If De Forrest had only known it, the game
of contrasts was not wholly in his favor.

But poor Mr. Hemstead came to grief on his way to the supper-room.
Miss Marchmont tried to disguise her diminutive stature by a long
trailing dress. Upon this he placed his by no means delicate foot,
as she was sweeping out with Mr. Harcourt. There was an ominous
sound of parting stitches, and an abrupt period in the young lady's
graceful progress. In his eager haste to remedy his awkwardness,
he bumped up against Mr. Dimmerly, who was advancing to speak to