"It will come down," she corrected, nodding. Then she glanced at the
clock. "It will come down in about twenty minutes; all tumbling over my
shoulders. I shall be so mortified and surprised!"

Her husband stretched himself luxuriously back in his chair, regarding
her with laughing eyes. There was an air of perfect understanding
between the two which might have been an effectual enlightenment for
any man who thought of making love to the wife. Elsie went on, telling
off on her slender fingers the points as she made them.

"In fifteen minutes I shall be standing on the piano in the drawing-
room, straightening a picture. I never can bear a picture crooked, and
I had Jane tip it a little this morning, just to vex me. Fred Rangely
will come in unannounced. Of course I shall be dreadfully confused,
and have to get down. In my maidenly confusion I am almost sure I can't
help showing my slippers, and just a trifle--a very discreet trifle, of
course,--of these beautiful, beautiful stockings. Nothing vulgar, you
know, but"--

"But just enough," interpolated Wilson with huge enjoyment. "You
needn't apologize. I don't begrudge the poor devil whatever
satisfaction he can get out of that."

"And then as he is helping me down, with his heart in a flutter,--it
will flutter, I assure you."

"You mean his vanity; but it's of no consequence. He'd call it a heart
if he were putting the scene in a novel."