yer sings in Boston, last night and to-night. He sent me a
note, saying I might expect him to dinner on Tuesday."

"I wonder what success Mr. Arlt has had."

"Mr. Thayer sent me some criticisms. They were very enthusiastic, as far
as they went; but that was only a few lines."

"And the rest of the criticism probably concerned itself with Thayer,
and was discreetly cut away," Bobby said, as he dropped back into his
chair. "Miss Gannion, Arlt is on the steps, and you have not invited us
to stay to lunch, so we must take a reluctant departure. Before I go,
though, I'd like to ask one favor. When Thayer comes, Tuesday night, are
you willing to talk the whole matter over with him and see what he
thinks about it now? There would be a certain consolation to me in
knowing that he disapproved the affair, and he may possibly suggest some
way of breaking it off."

"Possibly," Miss Gannion assented; "unless it is already too late."

The words were still ringing in the air, when Arlt came into the room.
They were still ringing in Bobby's ears, ten minutes later, when he and
Sally took their leave.

"My mental ganglia are cleared," Bobby said disconsolately, as they went
down the steps. "I now see that there is precisely one thing for us to
do, and only one."

"What is that?"

"To grin and bear it."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Beatrix's principles extended even to the point of observing her day at
home. Society was bidden, the next afternoon, to a tea at Mrs.
Stanley's, and Beatrix was absolutely certain that none of her friends
would cross the intervening forty blocks in order to look in upon her,
going or coming. In her secret heart, she longed to follow society;
instead, she was sitting in solitude, when Thayer was announced.

She rose to greet him with a cordial friendliness, for the past six
months had made a great change in their outward relations. They had
liked each other from the day of Mrs. Stanley's recital, and the liking
had increased with each subsequent meeting. During the next few weeks,
they had met often. Lorimer insisted upon going to every recital at
which Thayer was to sing, and under his guidance Beatrix had gained a
fair idea of what went on behind the scenes. Thayer, meanwhile, had
swiftly assumed his own place in society, and discerning hostesses
generally found it well to put him near to Beatrix at dinner. Owing to
his many evening engagements, Thayer usually ate but sparingly, so it
was all the m