opera; but he presently got his cup of tea,
and found a snug seat in the chimney-corner by Miss Tavish; indeed, they
moved to it together, and so got a little out of the babel. Jack thought
the girl looked even prettier in her walking-dress than when he saw her
at the studio; she had style, there was no doubt about that; and then,
while there was no invitation in her manner, one felt that she was a
woman to whom one could easily say things, and who was liable at any
moment to say things interesting herself.

"Is this your first appearance since last night, Mr. Delancy?"

"Oh no; I've been racing about on errands all day. It is very restful to
sit down by a calm person."

"Well, I never shut my eyes till nine o'clock. I kept seeing that
Spanish woman whirl around and contort, and--do you mind my telling
you?--I couldn't just help it, I" (leaning forward to Jack) "got up and
tried it before the glass. There! Are you shocked?"

"Not so much shocked as excluded," Jack dared to say. "But do you
think--".

"Yes, I know. There isn't anything that an American girl cannot do. I've
made up my mind to try it. You'll see."

"Will I?"

"No, you won't. Don't flatter yourself. Only girls. I don't want men
around."

"Neither do I," said Jack, honestly.

Miss Tavish laughed. "You are too forward, Mr. Delancy. Perhaps some
time, when we have learned, we will let in a few of you, to look in
at the door, fifty dollars a ticket, for some charity. I don't see why
dancing isn't just as good an accomplishment as playing the harp in a
Greek dress."

"Nor do I; I'd rather see it. Besides, you've got Scripture warrant
for dancing off the heads of people. And then it is such a sweet way
of doing a charity. Dancing for the East Side is the best thing I have
heard yet."

"You needn't mock. You won't when you find out what it costs you."

"What are you two plotting?" asked Mrs. Trafton, coming across to the
fireplace.

"Charity," said Jack, meekly.

"Your wife was here this morning to get me to go and see some of her
friends in Hester Street."

"You went?"

"Not today. It's awfully interesting, but I've been."

"Edith seems to be devoted to that sort of thing," remarked Miss Tavish.

"Yes," said Jack, slowly, "she's got the idea that sympathy is better
than money; she says she wants to try to understand other people's
lives."

"Goodness knows, I'd like to understand my own."

"And were you trying, Mr. Delancy, to persuade