Really her original actions could be
attributed to her youthful passion and the powerful sex magnetism of
Cowperwood. Under more fortunate circumstances she would have married
safely enough and without the scandal which followed. As it was now,
her social future here needed to end satisfactorily in order to justify
herself to herself, and, she thought, to him.

"You may put the sandwiches in the ice-box," she said to Louis, the
butler, after one of the earliest of the "at home" failures, referring
to the undue supply of pink-and-blue-ribboned titbits which, uneaten,
honored some fine Sevres with their presence. "Send the flowers to the
hospital. The servants may drink the claret cup and lemonade. Keep
some of the cakes fresh for dinner."

The butler nodded his head. "Yes, Madame," he said. Then, by way of
pouring oil on what appeared to him to be a troubled situation, he
added: "Eet's a rough day. I suppose zat has somepsing to do weeth it."

Aileen was aflame in a moment. She was about to exclaim: "Mind your
business!" but changed her mind. "Yes, I presume so," was her answer,
as she ascended to her room. If a single poor "at home" was to be
commented on by servants, things were coming to a pretty pass. She
waited until the next week to see whether this was the weather or a
real change in public sentiment. It was worse than the one before.
The singers she had engaged had to be dismissed without performing the
service for which they had come. Kent McKibben and Taylor Lord, very
well aware of the rumors now flying about, called, but in a remote and
troubled spirit. Aileen saw that, too. An affair of this kind, with
only these two and Mrs. Webster Israels and Mrs. Henry Huddlestone
calling, was a sad indication of something wrong. She had to plead
illness and excuse herself. The third week, fearing a worse defeat
than before, Aileen pretended to be ill. She would see how many cards
were left. There were just three. That was the end. She realized that
her "at homes" were a notable failure.

At the same time Cowperwood was not to be spared his share in the
distrust and social opposition which was now rampant.

His first inkling of the true state of affairs came in connection with
a dinner which, on the strength of an old invitation, they
unfortunately attended at a time when Aileen was still uncertain. It
had been originally arranged by the Sunderland Sledds, who were not so
much socially, and who at