The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig

e," she said to her image, "that makes me less successful at drawing men to the point than so many girls who are no better looking than I?" And she made an inventory of her charms

nce and talk tommy rot-and listen

en, many men, quite beside themselves. Her lip curled, and her eyes laughed satirically as she thought of the follies of those men-how they had let women lead them up and down in public places, drooling and sighing and seeming to enjoy their own pitiful plight. If that expression of satire had not disappeared so quickly, she mig

against her cheek, the coolness and softness of the silk all along and around her body, were deliciously soothing. Her blood beat less fiercely, and somber thoughts drew slowly away into a vague cloud at the horizon of her mind. Lying there, with senses soothed by luxury and deadened to pain by the drug, she felt so safe, so shut-in against all intrusion. In a few hours the struggle, the bitterness would begin again; but at least here was this interval of repose, of freedom. Only when she was thus alone did she ever get that most voluptuo

d disgust of her grandmother and against the entreaties of her own common sense. "The last place in the world to look for a husband," Madam Bowker had said again and again, to both her daughter

shadowed her pale, somewhat haggard face, was evidently not in one of her sparkling moods. The headache powder and the nap had

eside Miss Sever

ld and haughty, an aristocrat of the unapproachable type,

about yourself,"

one of those serious, absorbed men who concentrate ent

y, and in those early days in Washington he was full of dignity and of determination to creat

aid Miss Severence, as

Craig. "Tea's for the

, "if you should feel dry as you tell me about yourself, there's whiskey over o

feet up, and be at home!" said C

hink you a boor?" inquired

id, calmly. "Now, wouldn't it be more ladylike for you t

beg your pardon," she said.

fashionable people. You don't even know that everybody ought to be judged on his own ground. To size up a race-horse, you don't take him into a drawing room. And it wouldn't be quite fair, would it, for me to judge these dra

e absurd manner, thoroughly ill at ease, trying to assume easy, nonchalant man-of-the-world airs. "I'd neve

myself up in these clo

es

ng an energetic forefinger almost in her face. "And as soon as I can dece

ted all forms of familiarity; physical familiarity she abho

ve I done?" d

anquillity. "Nothing," replied she. "W

any, practically all human beings are acutely self-conscious. But self-consciousness is of two kinds. Arkwright, assured that his manners were correct and engaging, that his dress was all it should

right out West-ou

raig curtly,

own house she must do her best with the unfortunate young man. "And

he was on his own ground n

two years la

boy then. You ough

ion. But, though she was careful to keep her face a blank, her mind was busy. Surely not since the gay women of Barras's court laughed at the megalomaniac ravings of a noisy, badly dressed, dirty young lieutenant named Buonaparte, had there been a vanity so candid, so voluble, so obstreperous. Nor did he talk of himself in a detached way, as if he were relating the performances and predicting the glory of a

tly very much of a somebody. However does he get time to DO anything, when he's so busy admiring hi

c description of how he had enchained and enthralled a vast audience in the biggest hall

Craig," said Miss Severence, polite bu

ly not looking at her but at Arkwright. "You've

er hand, and the two men went. As they were strolling down

-at least insignificant. Bad color. Dull eyes. Bad manners. A poor sp

in derision. "Yet you and she seemed t

ll the t

alway

tened. I felt as if I were

grunted A

e's not the man for her. She couldn't care for him, not in a thousand years. What woman with a sense of humor could? But she's got to marry somebody that can give

er, but Margaret was on his left. "When does your Crai

h some surprise. "Tu

sed him

will

nly. Wh

n she was running after him, and would be more co

y n

s you perhaps discovered

oncern myself about what others think. Your friend interests me. I've a curiosity to

ou all abo

ing-and

se, every word about himself and his career, I think it all over, and wonder whether there's anything to th

the cleverness and the penetration of her remark. Indeed, she knew in advance that he would not, for she kn

Josh?" Grant

much,

said Arkwrigh

things. He has strengt

id you exaggerate him, mere

ed contempt for myself,

I can't help being offended and disturbed for him by his crudities. He has an idea that to

n are more or less rude and crude, aren't they?" said she.

nk Josh is a

ret, with exasperating delibe

de that he is, y

suggested it t

Joshua. "As soon as I saw him in your presence, I knew it wouldn't do. It'

ig, his blood boiled. "Josh is a fine, splendid chap, as a man among men," said he to himself. "But to marry this dainty aristocrat to him-it'd be a damned disgraceful outrage. He's not fit to marry among OUR women.... What a pity such a stunning girl shouldn't have the accessories to make her eligible." And he hastily t

ret, "that to be loved by a man of

own sort would be dull?" suggest

s in an inflammatory assent. "Will you go

that the deep-hidden source of his enthusiasm was a