but until then I go where the art galleries are biggest and where
they have got the science of enjoying themselves down to the very
finest point. I have enough rough work eight months of the year to
make me appreciate that. So whenever I get a few months to myself I
take the Royal Mail to London, and from there to Paris or Vienna. I
think I like Vienna the best. The directors are generally important
people in their own cities, and they ask one about, and so, though I
hope I am a good American, it happens that I've more friends on the
Continent than in the United States."

"And how does this strike you?" asked King, with a movement of his
shoulder toward the men about the dismantled table.

"Oh, I don't know," laughed Clay. "You've lived abroad yourself; how
does it strike you?"

Clay was the first man to enter the drawing-room. He walked directly
away from the others and over to Miss Langham, and, taking her fan out
of her hands as though to assure himself of some hold upon her, seated
himself with his back to every one else.

"You have come to finish that story?" she said, smiling.

Miss Langham was a careful young person, and would not have encouraged
a man she knew even as well as she knew King, to talk to her through
dinner, and after it as well. She fully recognized that because she
was conspicuous certain innocent pleasures were denied her which other
girls could enjoy without attracting attention or comment. But Clay
interested her beyond her usual self, and the look in his eyes was a
tribute which she had no wish to put away from her.

"I've thought of something more interesting to talk about," said Clay.
"I'm going to talk about you. You see I've known you a long time."

"Since eight o'clock?" asked Miss Langham.

"Oh, no, since your coming out, four years ago."

"It's not polite to remember so far back," she said. "Were you one of
those who assisted at that important function? There were so many
there I don't remember."

"No, I only read about it. I remember it very well; I had ridden over
twelve miles for the mail that day, and I stopped half-way back to the
ranch and camped out in the shade of a rock and read all the papers and
magazines through at one sitting, until the sun went down and I
couldn't see the print. One of the papers had an account of your
coming out in it, and a picture of you, and I wrote East to the
photographer for the original. It knocked about the West for three