h rackets at the Bath Club), a fine forehead, behind which there
was less doing than one would suppose, polished manners, an amiable
disposition and private means.

For Madeline's sake, Bertha was interested in Rupert Denison, and
determined to understand him. When she reached bedrock in her friends,
it was not unusual for her to grow tired of them. But she was gentle and
considerate even to the people who left her cold; and when she really
cared for anyone, she was loyal, passionate and extraordinarily
tenacious.

* * * * *

"A schoolmaster!" repeated Madeline rather dismally. "Well! perhaps
there may be just a touch of that in Rupert. When I'm going to see him I
do feel rather nervous and a little as if I was going up for an exam."

"Well, let's say a holiday tutor," conceded Bertha. "He _is_ so
educational!"

"At any rate, he bothers about what I ought and oughtn't to know; he
pays me _some_ attention!"

"The only modern thing about him is his paying you so little," said
Bertha. "And, Madeline, we mustn't forget that young men are very
difficult to get hold of nowadays--for girls. Everyone complains of it.
Formerly they wouldn't dance, but they'd do everything else. Now,
dancing's the only thing they will do. People are always making bitter
remarks to me about it. There's not the slightest doubt that, except for
dancing, young men just now, somehow or other, are scarce, wild and
shy. And the funny thing is that they'll two-step and one-step and
double-Boston and Tango the whole evening, but that's practically all.
Oh, they're most unsatisfactory! Lots of girls have told me so. And as
to proposals! Why, they're the _rarest_ thing! Even when the modern
young man is devoted you can't be sure of serious intentions, except, of
course, in the Royal Family, or at the Gaiety."

"Well, _I_ don't care! I'm sure I don't want all these silly dancing
young men. They bore me to death. Give me _culture_! and all that sort
of thing. Only--only Rupert! ... Very often after he's refused an
invitation, like this of mother's, he'll write and ask me to have tea
with him at Rumpelmeyer's, or somewhere; and then he'll talk and talk
the whole time about ... oh, any general instructive subject."

"For instance?"

"Oh ... architecture!"

"How inspiriting!"

"But does it all mean anything, Bertha?"

"I almost think it must," she answered dreamily. "No man could take a
girl out to eat ices and talk