The Salamander

letta Pax. Sassoon was at the farther end, opposite Lindaberry, with Adèle Vickers and Busby to his right, and Pau

es, daintily blended, was waiting, and from the loosely bound st

e disclosed corner. She contrived, while folding her gloves, to turn the bouquet slightly, so that no trace of what it contained showed. Then, when the opportunity came, she examined the faces of the men. So quickly had the flowers been transferred to the b

irls, watching for a precedent, were in a quandary between a fork which inclined to a knif

uzzy, tell u

nce, chattering, gesturing. Doré profited by the moment to affix the bouquet among the orchids she already wore. The success of Georgie Gwynne's ice-breaking was such that the Comte de

girls beg

d Massingale, turnin

do said maliciously, "I shall spoil your

" he said, by

e Tenn

a mind to d

or, you would

't tell me

h more fun for y

one side. She rarely gave the full of her face,

ate sense of the shades of coquetry she displayed in the lingering slanted glances, and the eerie smile which

said, wishing that sh

iosi

cipi

ise in the blue clouded eyes, he

id you

n't dif

re un

study of others. Yet in this scrutiny there was no accent of criticism. His lips were relaxed in a tolerant humor, and this smile puzzled her. Was he also of this company who sought amusement in a descent to other levels, or was he simply an observer, a man who had ended a phase of life, but who still delighted in the contemplati

the guest of the day radiating happiness unde

d of you to call

I've got a s

ron

What's-His-Name Biscay. He's

her first success, said to Harr

s Nibs, watch wha

, absorbed in an i

, Georgie-gor

ury, Harrigan?" said Lindaberr

ave of his hand, leaning heavily on the table with his el

nes, the decorations, the presents and the tips. "Two thousand dollars at the least-four thousand dinners below Fourteenth Street, five years abroad for a genius who is stifling, twenty thousand t

Lindaberry, with an impertinen

ection. Ends are one thing, instruments another. Who was the greatest of the disci

privileged nature dedicated passionately to ideal ends. For the rest, his contempt for mankind in the present was profound. He had conquer

pairing claimant, she had pleaded in vain for opportunity in the great soul-crushing offices of the Free Press. The sport of

dissipation, but one felt in the awakening vivacity of his eye, the impatient opening and shutting of his hand, the quick smile that followed each outburst of laugh

under orders from Busby, placed before him a bottle of champagne for his special use. He turned cour

shen up yo

"I'm afraid I don't appreciate yo

dawning on him. But, before he could reply, Busby

please chassé! Gentlemen,

so, addressing the butler w

feel quite at home, do please pl

next to the Comte de Joncy, while Lindaberry, flushing, was left as best

m his pocketed, watery blue eyes, seating her with marked ceremon

a confidential tone: "Madame de Sta

in her ken, but she

lf in sheep's clo

into a weapon of attack. "I am a desperate adventu

true!" he said, l

Massingale was on the other side of her-Massingale, who, after the impudence of having compre

yes, not quite deceived, not quit

d-almost yo

" she said, raising he

h of them!" he said, after a moment, but not q

opening her hands in

id, yet not entirely

ange of manner. "You don't know what a

ha

can teaser!" she

aser! What

ion, glancing into the mirror, strivin

zy, bubbling over with mi

has a

for

e Count, don't we?"

re!

bet

let's tell ou

red blushing under her napkin at the storm of

aid Consuelo Vincent in a whispe

as on her feet

o, indeed! Cassie Hagan!" she cried furiously. "

attering at once, the men applauding and fomenting the tumult, Busby secretly enjoying the mischie

ou away!... Girls! Girls! Remember His Highness!... Paula, dear, you ought to hear what G

a fit, and thus procured a diversion which restored calm. Nevertheless, the storm had been so sudden that the wreckage w

er curiosity. She waited eagerly, her eyes dancing, her fingers thrumming on

and listlessness of his first appearance, a smile more contemptuous than amused lurking about the long oriental nose and burnt-out eyes witho

ible success of his colossal schemes, Sassoon at bottom was a prey to an obsession that stung him like a gadfly to restless seeking, eternally tormented by the fever of the hunter, eternally disillusioned. For thirty years, following the exigencies of a maladive heredity, he had raked

er fugitive forms that he might follow in a vague impulse-of all the millions in the city the one most enslaved. When, in her turn, Doré came to take her place beside him, after the first listless acknowledgment he spoke no word to her. She responded by turning her back to him at once, with a comp

much attention to

!" she said impertinen

shoulders, aroused as from its lethargy. Satisfied that her instinct had not failed, she took her

onsuelo Vincent, who had magnifi

f as a bunch of undertake

Every one began to chatter on a higher key, across the constant rise of laughter.

, how do yo

was being initiated into the art of eating brandied cherr

her toque, Sassoon and Harrigan B

said to Harrigan Blood, and added:

own, playing about her forehead like a golden cloud, stood out. For the

to what attracted him by f

owd," he said pointblank. "D

she said. "It's gettin

People don't often interest me. You do! I'

cloth, running her mischievous fingers through the low dish of yellow pansies before her. And, with the same averted look, which brought her a complete understanding of the impetuousness of his attack, she felt Sassoon'

lsive, aren't you?

tage? A b

no

, without lowering his voice: "If you're after a career, don't was

r seat on his right

e?" he said,

eyes, with a little affectation o

attack, to punish him further. A certain grace that he had, which appealed to her instinct, the quality of instinctive elegance,

a trembling wick. He brought to men a little sense of fear-never to women. To-day this intensity seemed clouded, not fully awake as if there were still dinning in his ears the echoes

said, protected by the shrieks of

e in the wrong? What rig

y had betrayed her to hi

up the table, "you should make a dif

t. "Will you accept my apologies? I am seldom

ke in the precision of his words. She nodded, and turned again to Harrigan Blood, all her natur

who had listened. "It's gone too far; he can't h

one help him?" s

superiority of the self-made man before the misfo

ilure! Build up! Let derelicts go! Save him? For what? In New York? We are too busy. The best that can be said is, he's drinking himse

is his

al pushing back of chairs. Busby, at the piano, flung out the

s, the Comte de Joncy insisting on being taught the latest curious

ty, a secret smile that missed nothing, internal rather than outwar

nod which Tenafly perceive

irl in yellow

guely over the company, but the insta

said, without

t of the

shook

here-below-I'

her

d the pigeonhol

't kno

what you

ill,

e master, who had no evasions with him

... see her for me

partners, clinging, bacchanalian, in their movements. Doré followed Lindaberry, frowning, feeling a blast of anger that set her sensitive little nostrils to quivering with scorn. The feeling was unreasonable. She did not know why he should disturb her more than another, and yet he did. He seemed so incongruous there; she could not associate his refinement, his courtesy, wi

or, counting the minutes. Jud

an

y ankle thi

on't w

N

t not as the others, not with the same i

he dances, to Doré's relief,

er's car i

to lead Stacey Van Loan to an innocent participation. A group came u

ss Baxte

't let

s just be

ish to witness, ugliness appearing from behind the carnival mask of laughter. She began to glance apprehensively at Harrigan Blood, who clung to her side, wondering how she could elude h

d herself. She gave the address, but in a sharp muffled tone, bo

are yo

arrigan Blood pushed forwa

on, my boy; noth

derstand you,

ell, I'll mak

ndly not i

ank you not

ha

t tre

Blood retorted with equal heat. In

group which rushed in to separate these two men whom a gl

of anger and the increasing uproar, flung

her, and in the hall was Li

, not s

t so fast!

seeing what was in his eyes, hearing the tumult in the salon behind. The

protect me! I need it!

said, sta

l!" she said franticall

staring a moment as if suddenly recog

uch as one feels before a magnificent ruin. She w

appealed to him not to judge her. "I am