"And then nothing. She seemed to catch your eye, and she stopped."

The fingers relaxed their hold upon that gathering up of his coat-sleeve.
"I won't _be_ explained, and I have told her so. If I choose to act
myself, and show out my real thoughts and feelings, how is it any worse
than if I acted somebody else!"

"I should think it was very much better," said Hewson, inwardly warned to
keep his face straight.




VI.


They had time for no more talk between the drawing-room and the dinner
table, and when Miss Hernshaw's chair had been pushed in behind her, and
she sat down, she turned instantly to the man on her right and began
speaking to him, and left Hewson to make conversation with any one he
liked or could.

He did not get on very well, not because there were not enough amusing
people beside him and over against him, but because he was all the time
trying to eavesdrop what was saying between Miss Hernshaw and the man on
her right. It seemed to be absolute trivialities they were talking; so
far as Hewson made out they got no deeper than the new play which was
then commanding the public favor apparently for the reason that it was
altogether surface, with no measure upwards or downwards. Upon this