citing to some new acquaintance an
amusing bit of gossip--"that we are destined to this sort of thing
occasionally and had better get used to it."

"I suppose so."

"Please," she added, after a pause, "aid me a little."

"I will if I can. What am I to say?"

"Have you nothing to say?" she asked, smiling; "it need not be very
civil, you know--as long as nobody hears you."

To school his features for the deception of others, to school his voice
and manner and at the same time look smilingly into the grave of his
youth and hope called for the sort of self-command foreign to his
character. Glancing at him under her smoothly fitted mask of amiability,
she slowly grew afraid of the situation--but not of her ability to
sustain her own part.

They exchanged a few meaningless phrases, then she resolutely took young
Innis away from Rosamund Fane, leaving Selwyn to count the bubbles in
his wine-glass.

But in a few moments, whether by accident or deliberate design, Rosamund
interfered again, and Mrs. Ruthven was confronted with the choice of a
squabble for possession of young Innis, of conspicuous silence, or of
resuming once more with Selwyn. And she chose the last resort.

"You are living in town?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yes."

"Of course; I forgot. I met a man last night who said you had entered
the firm of Neergard & Co."

"I have. Who was the man?"

"You can never guess, Captain Selwyn."

"I don't want to. Who was he?"

"Please don't terminate so abruptly the few subjects we have in reserve.
We may be obliged to talk to each other for a number of minutes if
Rosamund doesn't let us alone. . . . The man was 'Boots' Lansing."

"'Boots!' Here!"

"Arrived from Manila Sunday. _Sans gene_ as usual he introduced you as
the subject, and told me--oh, dozens of things about you. I suppose he
began inquiring for you before he crossed the troopers' gangplank; and
somebody sent him to Neergard & Co. Haven't you seen him?"

"No," he said, staring at the brilliant fish, which glided along the
crystal tank, goggling their eyes at the lights.

"You--you are living with the Gerards, I believe," she said carelessly.

"For a while."

"Oh, 'Boots' says that he is expecting to take an apartment with you
somewhere."

"What! Has 'Boots' resigned?"

"So he says. He told me that you had resigned. I did not understand
that; I imagined you were here on leave until I heard about Neergard &
Co."

"Do you suppose I could hav