. Her glance at the man beside her was
insulting in its disdainful indifference.

What would have saddened a nobler spirit enchanted Inglesby. He was
dazzled by her. Her interest in what he was saying was coolly
impersonal, the fixed habit of trained politeness. He could even
surmise that she was mentally yawning behind her hand. When she looked
at him her eyes under her level brows held a certain scornfulness. And
this, too, delighted him. He groveled to it. His red face glowed with
pleasure; he swelled with a pride very different from Mary Virginia's.
I thought he had an upholstered look in his glossy clothes, reminding
me unpleasantly of horsehair furniture.

"He looks like a day coach in July," growled the Butterfly Man in my
ear, disgustedly.

Inglesby at this moment perceived Hunter and beamed upon him, as well
he might! Who but this priceless secretary had pulled the strings
which set him beside this glorious creature, in the Parish House
garden? He turned to the girl, with heavy jauntiness:

"My good right hand, Miss Eustis, I assure you!" he beamed. "But I am
sure you two need no dissertations upon each other's merits!"

"None whatever," said Miss Eustis, and looked over Mr. Hunter's head.

"Oh, Miss Eustis and I are really old acquaintances!" smiled the
secretary. "We know each other very well indeed."

Mary Virginia made no reply. Instead, she looked about her,
indifferently enough, until her glance encountered the Butterfly
Man's. What he saw in her's I do not know. But he instantly moved
toward her, and swept me with him.

"Father De Rance and I," said he, easily, "haven't had chance to speak
to you all afternoon, Miss Eustis." He acknowledged Hunter's friendly
greeting pleasantly enough.

"And I've been looking for you both." The hauteur faded from the young
face. Our own Mary Virginia appeared, changed in the twinkling of an
eye.

Inglesby favored me with condescending effusiveness. Flint got off
with a smirking stare.

"And this," said Inglesby in the sort of voice some people use in
addressing strange children to whom they desire to be patronizingly
nice and don't know how, "this is the Butterfly Man!" Out came the
jovial smile in its full deadliness. The Butterfly Man's lips drew
back from his teeth and his eyes narrowed to gimlet points behind his
glasses. "I have heard of you from Mr. Hunter. And so you collect
butterflies! Very interesting and active occupation for any one
that--ahem!