the air. A gay and noisy party developed in one of
the large back rooms; at every moment one could hear gales of laughter,
the rattle of chairs and glassware, mingled with the sounds of men's
voices and the little screams and cries of women. Every time the waiter
opened the door to deliver an order he let out a momentary torrent of
noises.

Girls, habitues of the place, continued to pass the door of the room
where Vandover and his friends were seated. Each time a particularly
handsome one went by, the four looked out after her, shutting their lips
and eyes and nodding their heads.

Young Haight had called for more drinks, ordering, however, mineral
water for himself, and Vandover was just telling about posing the female
models in a certain life-class to which he belonged, when he looked up
and broke off, exclaiming:

"Well, well, here we are at last! How are you, Flossie? Come right in."

Flossie stood in the doorway smiling good-humouredly at them, without a
trace of embarrassment or of confusion in her manner. She was an immense
girl, quite six feet tall, broad and well-made, in proportion. She was
very handsome, full-throated, heavy-eyed, and slow in her movements.
Her eyes and mouth, like everything about her, were large, but each time
she spoke or smiled, she disclosed her teeth, which were as white, as
well-set, and as regular as the rows of kernels on an ear of green corn.
In her ears were small yellow diamonds, the only jewellery she wore.
There was no perceptible cosmetic on her face, which had a clean and
healthy look as though she had just given it a vigorous washing.

She wore a black hat with a great flare to the brim on one side. It was
trimmed very dashingly with black feathers, imitation jet, and a little
puff of plush--robin's-egg blue. Her dress was of rough, black camel's
hair, tailor-made, and but for the immense balloon sleeves, absolutely
plain. It was cut in such a way that from neck to waist there was no
break, the buttons being on the shoulder and under the arm. The skirt
was full and stiff, and without the least trimming. Everything was
black--hat, dress, gloves--and the effect was of a simplicity and
severity so pronounced as to be very striking.

However, around her waist she wore as a belt a thick rope of oxidized
silver, while her shoes, or rather walking slippers, were of white
canvas.

She belonged to that class of women who are not to know one's last name
or address, and whose h