mulant; and he
stood there longing to take her in his arms, to feel the delicate yet
perfect and vividly vital life of that fascinating form--longing to kiss
that sensitive, slightly pouted rosy mouth, to try to make those clear
eyes grow soft and dreamy----

She was saying: "I've been wondering what had become of you."

"I saw Tetlow," he said. "He promised to send me your address."

At Tetlow's name she frowned slightly; then a gleam of ridicule flitted
into her eyes. "Oh, that silly, squeamish old maid! How sick I got of
him!"

Norman winced, and his jealousy stirred. "Why?" he asked.

"Always warning me against everybody. Always giving me advice. It was
too tiresome. And at last he began to criticize me--the way I
dressed--the way I talked--said I was getting too free in my manner. The
impudence of him!"

Norman tried to smile.

"He'd have liked me to stay a silly little mouse forever."

"So you've been--blossoming out?" said Norman.

"In a quiet way," replied she, with a smile of self-content, so lovely
as a smile that no one would have minded its frank egotism. "There isn't
much chance for fun--unless a girl goes too far. But at the same time I
don't intend life to be Sunday when it isn't work. I got very cross with
him--Mr. Tetlow, I mean. And I took another position. It didn't pay
quite so well--only fifteen a week. But I couldn't stand being
watched--and guyed by all the other girls and boys for it."

"Where are you working?"

"With an old lawyer named Branscombe. It's awful slow, as I'm the only
one, and he's old and does everything in an old-fashioned way. But the
hours are easy, and I don't have to get down till nine--which is nice
when you've been out at a dance the night before."

Norman kept his eyes down to hide from her the legion of devils of
jealousy. "You _have_ changed," he said.

"I'm growing up," replied she with a charming toss of her small
head--what beautiful effects the sunlight made in among those wavy
strands and strays!

"And you're as lovely as ever--lovelier," he said--and his eyes were
the eyes of the slave she had spurned.

She did not spurn him now--and it inflamed his jealousy that she did
not. She said: "Oh, what's the good of looks? The town's full of pretty
girls. And so many of them have money--which I haven't. To make a hit in
New York a girl's got to have both looks and dress. But I must be going.
I've an engagement to lunch--" She gave a proud little smile--"