," to
account for his presence. He had not been able to button his right
glove, and he now began, with as much indifference as he could assume,
to pull them both off, for he saw that Corey wore none. By the time he
had stuffed them into the pocket of his coat-skirt his wife and
daughter descended.

Corey welcomed them very cordially too, but looked a little mystified.
Mrs. Lapham knew that he was silently inquiring for Penelope, and she
did not know whether she ought to excuse her to him first or not. She
said nothing, and after a glance toward the regions where Penelope
might conjecturably be lingering, he held aside the portiere for the
Laphams to pass, and entered the room with them.

Mrs. Lapham had decided against low-necks on her own responsibility,
and had entrenched herself in the safety of a black silk, in which she
looked very handsome. Irene wore a dress of one of those shades which
only a woman or an artist can decide to be green or blue, and which to
other eyes looks both or neither, according to their degrees of
ignorance. If it was more like a ball dress than a dinner dress, that
might be excused to the exquisite effect. She trailed, a delicate
splendour, across the carpet in her mother's sombre wake, and the
consciousness of success brought a vivid smile to her face. Lapham,
pallid with anxiety lest he should somehow disgrace himself, giving
thanks to God that he should have been spared the shame of wearing
gloves where no one else did, but at the same time despairing that
Corey should have seen him in them, had an unwonted aspect of almost
pathetic refinement.

Mrs. Corey exchanged a quick glance of surprise and relief with her
husband as she started across the room to meet her guests, and in her
gratitude to them for being so irreproachable, she threw into her
manner a warmth that people did not always find there. "General
Lapham?" she said, shaking hands in quick succession with Mrs. Lapham
and Irene, and now addressing herself to him.

"No, ma'am, only Colonel," said the honest man, but the lady did not
hear him. She was introducing her husband to Lapham's wife and
daughter, and Bromfield Corey was already shaking his hand and saying
he was very glad to see him again, while he kept his artistic eye on
Irene, and apparently could not take it off. Lily Corey gave the
Lapham ladies a greeting which was physically rather than socially
cold, and Nanny stood holding Irene's hand in both of h