graph which cousin Agnes had ordered. The puzzle of the presence of that picture among cousin Agnes's things had agitated her so greatly since its discovery that her impulse to take the picture at once to him almost controlled her; but she left it in her room and, at last, descended.
After a woman and man have met and known the wonder of mutual attraction and have separated, there is likely to be a dangerous process of idealization in progress of which one may become suddenly aware just before the moment of rejoining the other. Ethel was suffering this experience; she had reached the lower hall beside the lighted room where Barney was and, halting again with a catch at her heart, she felt fright at her own memories. Were they true ones,—those images which she had borne of his straight, strong, pleasing figure and of his good features, of his observant, understanding, likable eyes, of his steady lips which smiled so pleasantly, of his well-formed, firm hands which had held hers in their grasp? Or was he, when she should see him here, just like other men?
She stepped between the hangings at the door of the drawing-room and saw him; and the welling in her breast let her know that she had nothing to fear of disillusionment. But how was he finding her? For he, too, had been dreaming and idealizing; she saw that in his eyes meeting hers for their moment and then going to her brow, her lips, her arms and bosom, her dress and her slippers. He, too, had been bearing images; and she watched him with mighty dismay while he looked to see if he was to be disillusioned. And he was not! He had seen her before only in the suit which she had worn constantly at St. Florentin; now she had on an afternoon dress; and after witnessing the white-
