The Limit

as an idealist; while Harry de Freyn

not a snobbish Anglomaniac, at least his snobbishness was not of the common quality nor about the obvious things; he was a little ashamed of his money, but he did not worship rank and titles; it was Intellect-but Intellect that had the stamp of fashion-that held a glamour for him. So did everything that he supposed to be modern, previous, and up-to-date. No one could ever, whether in New York or in London, have been in life less modern than poor Van Buren, though he was eminently contemporary and perhaps even in advance in matters

r, to be allowed to be his banker. But Harry had refused, having vague ideas of much more important extent than a mere loan with regard to making Van Buren useful. He had thu

Van Buren. Harry felt that if he could compass this arrangement he would at one stroke give fortune to Daphne,

tandard of morals with regard to what he called the ladies, and illusions that one would rarely find in London in a girl of seventeen, might some day develop into priggishness and tediousness, and-especially-would take up too much time. For since Harry had been intimate with Van Buren he had discovered that t

roduced his guests one by one to the modest millionaire, who said to them all, "Pleased to meet you", and fixed his admiring glance with a sentim

vening dress except in the evening, so while at her own flat in the afternoon she was photographed in a décolletée tea-gown, this evening she was dressed as if for Ascot, except for the hat, with an emaciated feather boa and a tired embroidered crêpe de Chine scarf thrown over her shoulders, also a fan, long gloves, and a rose in her hair by way of hedging. To these ornaments she added a cold, of which she complained as soon as she saw the other guests. But no one l

a smart, good-looking, commonplace woman, rather fatter than she wished to be, but very straight-fronted, straightforward, and sporting, with dark red

wn neck, pretty fair hair, and an entirely unaffected bonhomie that quite carried off the harshness of her want of style or charm-in fact it had a charm of its own. Besides, it was well known that her grandmother had left her an estate in the country and ￡ 7000

ter so many triumphs, but he was merely a rather pale, dark, and rather handsome young man. He behaved like anybody else, except that perhaps his manner was a little quieter than the average. Unless one was very observant (which one isn't), or unless one listened to what he said, he did not at first appear too alarmingly clever. He had one or two characteristics which must have at times led to misunderstandings. One was that whatever o

the modern taste for the battered as a charm in itself, though

nice to Vaughan, Harry had good-naturedly placed them as far apa

e clever things, Mr. Vaughan?

lentia called him. He spoke enviously. He was a perfectly beautiful blond, delightfully s

soon write a play

really," said Vaugha

t tho

t's

get the th

fluke-a bit of lu

ghed with relief to think t

for envy, as a rule, is of success rather than of merit. No one would

of Miss Luscombe?" Vale

regard people on the stage as

. You have made a sort of corner in 'leadin

ctress, and off the stage she doesn't dress like

she's quite wonderfully practical, really. She never accepts an en

on their having a silver lining," said Vaughan. "

at least he collects programmes and po

elp in listening to Miss Luscomb

tially to Rathbone, who had an expression of willing-but

was standing in the refreshment-room with Mrs. Cashmore, and I went straight up to him and said, 'Don't you remember me, Mr. Alexander?'-and after all this he only promised me-and that conditionally-a horrid, silly little part in the curtain-raiser in No. 2 B Company on tour. On tour! Of course I refused that-one must keep up one's prestige, Mr. Rathbone. There's a great deal of injustice in the profession. Talent counts for nothing-it's all influence. B

h with its three soprano notes and upward inflect

trying in vain during the whole of dinner to get a word in edgeways and feared to lose his chance now-"when I was a b

said earnestly, with a

, and I've got her initial

How exciting!

, "Cissie Loftus. Isn't it odd? I wrote and told her

really touching! Will you s

ine. She hastily went on. "So you're very

t programmes, and I haven't missed

to remember your face

iety," he said, "

" she turned her

w's heads. I'm afraid you'd do a terrible amount of damage there. I should like to show you and Mrs. Wyburn Newp

yes, do say th

forward and s

rather weary and a little grey on the temples? He bowed and kissed the woman'

aid Valentia decidedly. "Every one

don't know any stockbrok

ed that sounds!"

l Alec she'll have to marry one, and when she says she doesn't want to, 'My dear child,' I say, 'you can't marry people you do

, named after her dis

tinued in a lower voice to Harry. "We're all only too gla

call that snobb

ried for love-and you know the result! Walmer's always gambling, always running after-

nt Alec to ma

nd fence, and dance, and the husband is fairly kind to her, I'm sure she'll be happy-I mean, I have no idea of her marrying a duke, Harry. I shall

fun of me, de

re going for a long cruise. You must come with us. Her father will be al

lly kind, Lady Walme

he world. That," she gave Valentia a piercing glance, "can't go on for ever! You will find Rome

y that some treachery was in the air, looked once angrily at Harry

ter were silent as they sat side by side looking at their plates. Bu

to sudden obscure impulses as of the primitive man, became pal

present must be thinking. Of course it was only

ance and quiet manner, why did he

as he

he remembered that, à la fin des fins, he would have to leave her at her husband's house. Would Romer be sitting up?

was je