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together　such　a　lot　of　queer　people。〃



〃But　don't　it　strike　you　that　we're　a　part　of　the　lot？〃



〃Perhaps；〃　returned　the　lively　Mrs。　Leyton。　　〃No　doubt　that's　the

reason　why　Jack　Somers　is　coming　over；　and　is　so　anxious　that　YOU

should　stay。　　I　can't　imagine　why　else　he　should　rave　about　Miss

Grace　Nevil　as　he　does。　　Come；　Grace；　no　New　York　or　Philadelphia

airs；　here！　　Consider　your　uncle's　interests　with　this　capitalist；

to　say　nothing　of　ours。　　Because　you're　a　millionaire　and　have　been

accustomed　to　riches　from　your　birth；　don't　turn　up　your　nose　at

our　unpampered　appetites。　　Besides；　Jack　Somers　is　Rushbrook's

particular　friend；　and　he　may　think　your　criticisms　unkind。〃



〃But　IS　Mr。　Somers　such　a　great　friend　of　Mr。　Rushbrook's？〃　asked

Grace　Nevil。



〃Why；　of　course。　　Rushbrook　consults　him　about　all　these　things；

gives　him　carte　blanche　to　invite　whom　he　likes　and　order　what　he

likes；　and　trusts　his　taste　and　judgment　implicitly。〃



〃Then　this　gathering　is　Mr。　Somers's　selection？〃



〃How　preposterous　you　are；　Grace。　　Of　course　not。　　Only　Somers's

IDEA　of　what　is　pleasing　to　Rushbrook；　gotten　up　with　a　taste　and

discretion　all　his　own。　　You　know　Somers　is　a　gentleman；　educated

at　West　Pointtraveled　all　over　Europeyou　might　have　met　him

there；　and　Rushbrookwell；　you　have　only　to　see　him　to　know　what

HE　is。　　Don't　you　understand？〃



A　slight　seriousness；　the　same　shadow　that　once　before　darkened　the

girl's　charming　face　gave　way　to　a　mischievous　knitting　of　her

brows　as　she　said　naively；　〃No。〃





CHAPTER　III





Grace　Nevil　had　quite　recovered　her　equanimity　when　the

indispensable　Mr。　Somers；　handsome；　well…bred；　and　self…restrained；

approached　her　later　in　the　crowded　drawing…room。　　Blended　with　his

subdued　personal　admiration　was　a　certain　ostentation　of　respect

as　of　a　tribute　to　a　distinguished　guestthat　struck　her。　　〃I　am

to　have　the　pleasure　of　taking　you　in；　Miss　Nevil；〃　he　said。　　〃It's

my　one　compensation　for　the　dreadful　responsibility　just　thrust

upon　me。　　Our　host　has　been　suddenly　called　away；　and　I　am　left　to

take　his　place。〃



Miss　Nevil　was　slightly　startled。　　Nevertheless；　she　smiled

graciously。　　〃From　what　I　hear　this　is　no　new　function　of　yours；

that　is；　if　there　really　IS　a　Mr。　Rushbrook。　　I　am　inclined　to

think　him　a　myth。〃



〃You　make　me　wish　he　were；〃　retorted　Somers；　gallantly；　〃but　as　I

couldn't　reign　at　all；　except　in　his　stead；　I　shall　look　to　you　to

lend　your　rightful　grace　to　my　borrowed　dignity。〃



The　more　general　announcement　to　the　company　was　received　with

a　few　perfidious　regrets　from　the　more　polite；　but　with　only

amused　surprise　by　the　majority。　　Indeed；　many　considered　it

〃characteristic〃〃so　like　Bob　Rushbrook；〃　and　a　few　enthusiastic

friends　looked　upon　it　as　a　crowning　and　intentional　stroke　of

humor。　　It　remained；　however；　for　the　gentleman　from　Siskyou　to

give　the　incident　a　subtlety　that　struck　Miss　Nevil's　fancy。　　〃It

reminds　me；〃　he　said　in　her　hearing；　〃of　ole　Kernel　Frisbee；　of

Robertson　County；　one　of　the　purlitest　men　I　ever　struck。　　When　he

knew　a　feller　was　very　dry；　he'd　jest　set　the　decanter　afore　him；

and　managed　to　be　called　outer　the　room　on　bus'ness。　　Now；　Bob

Rushbrook's　about　as　white　a　man　as　that。　　He's　jest　the　feller；

who；　knowing　you　and　me　might　feel　kinder　restrained　about

indulging　our　appetites　afore　him；　kinder　drops　out　easy；　and

leaves　us　alone。〃　　And　she　was　impressed　by　an　instinct　that　the

speaker　really　felt　the　delicacy　he　spoke　of；　and　that　it　left　no

sense　of　inferiority　behind。



The　dinner；　served　in　a　large；　brilliantly…lit　saloon；　that　in

floral　decoration　and　gilded　columns　suggested　an　ingenious

blending　of　a　steamboat　table　d'hote　and　〃harvest　home；〃　was

perfect　in　its　cuisine；　even　if　somewhat　extravagant　in　its

proportions。



〃I　should　be　glad　to　receive　the　salary　that　Rushbrook　pays　his

chef；　and　still　happier　to　know　how　to　earn　it　as　fairly；〃　said

Somers　to　his　fair　companion。



〃But　is　his　skill　entirely　appreciated　here？〃　she　asked。



〃Perfectly；〃　responded　Somers。　　〃Our　friend　from　Siskyou　over　there

appreciates　that　'pate'　which　he　cannot　name　as　well　as　I　do。

Rushbrook　himself　is　the　only　exception；　yet　I　fancy　that　even　HIS

simplicity　and　regularity　in　feeding　is　as　much　a　matter　of

business　with　him　as　any　defect　in　his　earlier　education。　　In　his

eyes；　his　chef's　greatest　qualification　is　his　promptness　and

fertility。　　Have　you　noticed　that　ornament　before　you？〃　pointing　to

an　elaborate　confection。　　〃It　bears　your　initials；　you　see。　　It　was

conceived　and　executed　since　you　arrivedrather；　I　should　say；

since　it　was　known　that　you　would　honor　us　with　your　company。　　The

greatest　difficulty　encountered　was　to　find　out　what　your　initials

were。〃



〃And　I　suppose；〃　mischievously　added　the　young　girl　to　her

acknowledgments；　〃that　the　same　fertile　mind　which　conceived　the

design　eventually　provided　the　initials？〃



〃That　is　our　secret；〃　responded　Somers；　with　affected　gravity。



The　wines　were　of　characteristic　expensiveness；　and　provoked　the

same　general　comment。　　Rushbrook　seldom　drank　wine；　Somers　had

selected　it。　　But　the　barbaric　opulence　of　the　entertainment

culminated　in　the　Californian　fruits；　piled　in　pyramids　on　silver

dishes；　gorgeous　and　unreal　in　their　size　and　painted　beauty；　and

the　two　Divas　smiled　over　a　basket　of　grapes　and　peaches　as

outrageous　in　dimensions　and　glaring　color　as　any　pasteboard

banquet　at　which　they　had　professionally　assisted。　　As　the　courses

succeeded　each　other；　under　the　exaltation　of　wine；　conversation

became　more　general　as　regarded　participation；　but　more　local　and

private　as　regarded　the　subject；　until　Miss　Nevil　could　no　longer

follow　it。　　The　interests　of　that　one；　the　hopes　of　another；　the

claims　of　a　third；　in　affairs　that　were　otherwise　uninteresting；

were　all　discussed　with　singular　youthfulness　of　trust　that　to　her

alone　seemed　remarkable。　　Not　that　she　lacked　entertainment　from

the　conversation　of　her　clever　companion；　whose　confidences　and

criticisms　were　very　pleasant　to　her；　but　she　had　a　gentlewoman's

instinct　that　he　talked　to　her　too　much；　and　more　than　was

consistent　with　his　duties　as　the　general　host。　　She　looked　around

the　table　for　her　singular　acquaintance　of　an　hour　before；　but　she

had　not　seen　him　since。　　She　would　have　spoken　about　him　to　Somers；

but　she　had　an　instinctive　idea　that　the　latter　would　be

antipathetic；　in　spite　of　the　stranger's　flattering　commendation。

So　she　found　herself　again　following　Somers's　cynical　but　good…

humored　description　of　the　various　guests；　and；　I　fear；　seeing　with

his　eyes；　listening　with　his　ears；　and　occasionally　participating

in　his　superior　attitude。　　The　〃fearful　joy〃　she　had　found　in　the

novelty　of　the　situation　and　the　originality　of　the　actors　seemed

now　quite　right　from　this　critical　point　of　view。　　So　she　learned

how　the　guest　with　the　long　hair　was　an　unknown　painter；　to　whom

Rushbrook　had　given　a　commission　for　three　hundred　yards　of　painted

canvas；　to　be　cut　up　and　framed　as　occasion　and　space　required；　in

Rushbrook's　new　hotel　in　San　Francisco；　how　the　gray…bearded

foreigner　near　him　was　an　accomplished　bibliophile　who　was

furnishing　Mr。　Rushbrook's　library　from　spoils　of　foreign

collections；　and　had　suffered　unheard…of　agonies　from　the

millionaire's　insisting　upon　a　handsome　uniform　binding　that　should

deprive　certain　precious　but　musty　tomes　of　their　crumbling；　worm…

eaten　coverings；　how　the　very　gentle；　clerical…looking　stranger；

mildest　of　a　noisy；　disputing　crowd　at　the　other　table；　was　a

notorious　duelist　and　dead　shot；　how　the　only　gentleman　at　the

table　who　retained　a　flannel　shirt　and　high　boots　was　not　a　late…

coming　mountaineer；　but　a　well…known　English　baronet　on　his

travels；　how　the　man　who　told　a　somewhat　florid　and　emphatic

anecdote　was　a　popular　Eastern　clergyman；　how　the　one　querulous；

discontented　face　in　a　laughing　group　was　the　famous　humorist　who

had　just　convulsed　it；　and　how　a　pale；　handsome　young　fellow；　who

ate　and　drank　sparingly　and　disregarded　the　coquettish　advances　of

the　prettiest　Diva　with　the　cold　abstraction　of　a　student；　was　a

notorious　roue　and　gambler。　　But　there　was　a　sudden　and　unlooked…

for　change　of　criticism　and　critic。



The　festivity　had　reached　that　stage　when　the　guests　were　more　or

less　accessible　to　emotion；　and　more　or　less　touched　by　the

astounding　fact　that　every　one　was　enjoying　himself。　　This

phenomenon；　which　is　apt　to　burst　into　song　or　dance　among　other

races；　is　constrained　to　voice　itself　in　an　Anglo…Saxon　gathering

by　some　explanation；　apology；　or　moralknown　as　an　after…dinner

speech。　　Thus　it　was　that　the　gentleman　from　Siskyou；　who　had　been

from　time　to　time　casting　glances　at　Somers　and　his　fair　companion

at　the　head　of　the　table；　now　rose　to　his　feet；　albeit　unsteadily；

pushed　back　his　chair；　and　began