These same jewels had ceased, after their first imperious call, to
trouble Jimmy to the extent he had anticipated. It had been a bitter
struggle during the first few days of his stay, but gradually he had
fought the craving down, and now watched them across the dinner table
at night with a calm which filled him with self-righteousness. On the
other hand, he was uncomfortably alive to the fact that this triumph
of his might be merely temporary. There the gems were, winking and
beckoning to him across the table. At any moment----. When his thoughts
arrived at this point, he would turn them--an effort was sometimes
necessary--to Molly. Thinking of her, he forgot the pearls.

But the process of thinking of Molly was not one of unmixed comfort. A
great uneasiness had gripped him. More than ever, as the days went by,
he knew that he loved her, that now the old easy friendship was a
mockery. But on her side he could see no signs that she desired a
change in their relationship. She was still the old Molly of the New
York days, frank, cheerful unembarrassed. But he found that in this
new world of hers the opportunities of getting her to himself for any
space of time were infinitesimal. It was her unfortunate conviction,
bred of her American upbringing, that the duty of the hostess is to
see that her guests enjoy themselves. Lady Jane held the English view
that visitors like to be left to themselves. And Molly, noticing her
stepmother's lack of enterprise and putting it down as merely another
proof of her languid nature, had exerted herself all the more keenly
to do the honors.

The consequence was that Jimmy found himself one of a crowd, and
disliked the sensation.

The thing was becoming intolerable. Here was he, a young man in love,