that they would both be
oblivious to their neighbors, while about the table she maliciously
scattered a trio of drawing-room musicians. There was Herr von
Steubenblaetter, a musical professor, Mdlle. de Longchamps, an amateur
soprano, and Mr. John Smith, who, after studying singing in Italy and
passing five years without an engagement, had now assumed the more
euphonious name of Signor Frivogini. Besides these there were several
inoffensive people who never said much, but who would consider it their
duty to applaud the musicians and keep them employed after dinner, so
that Marion and Duncan might talk unobserved.

Unfortunately Duncan's manner was not at all what she had expected. He
talked to her about the most conventional and trivial subjects in a most
conventional and trivial way, until about the second _entree_, when he
entered into a literary argument with Florence which lasted during the
entire dinner. Both Marion and Wainwright considered themselves very
much abused, and Marion in particular thought that somehow her
elaborate plans had failed and that Duncan was purposely neglecting her.
She endeavored to listen to a discourse on the relative merits of
canvas-back and red-head, delivered by an experienced diner on her left,
but she felt much relieved when she was able to make the signal for the
ladies to file out. When the men had finished their cigars and found
their way to the drawing-room she boldly conducted Herr von
Steubenblaetter to the piano, trusting, from her experience of the opera,
that Duncan would disregard the music and talk to her. Marion had
provided a formidable array of drawing-room musicians, but they failed
to serve the purpose for which they were invited. They played and sang
in continuous succession, but Duncan, instead of taking a seat beside
her and making the music a cloak for conversation, went to the other
side of the room and sat down near pretty, smirking Miss Ender. There he
chatted assiduously and made her giggle so loudly that Herr von
Steubenblaetter sent withering glances through his gold bowed spectacles
which made the poor girl blush and stop simpering for two entire
minutes.

Marion was furious with everything, but with Duncan most of all. She
tried to conceal her anger and listen to the insipid chatter of an
under-graduate, but her replies were generalities, delivered without
reference to the sophomore's platitudes, and her thoughts were entirely
across the room. "What d