\"Why,Ibelieveyou\'reincurablyromantic,Hugh,\"shesaidlaughingly,whenthemenhadlefttheroom.\"Hereyouare,whattheycallaparagonofsuccess,afuturesenator,AmbassadortoEngland.Ihearofthoseremarkablethingsyouhavedone——eveninNewYorktheotherdayamanwasaskingmeifIknewMr.Paret,andspokeofyouasoneofthecomingmen.
Isupposeyouwillbemovingthere,soon.Apracticalsuccess!ItalwayssurprisesmewhenIthinkofit,Ifinditdifficulttorememberwhatadreameryouwereandhereyouturnouttobestilladreamer!
Haveyoudiscovered,too,theemptinessofitall?\"sheinquiredprovokingly.\"Imustsayyoudon\'tlookit\"——shegavemeacritical,quizzicalglance——\"youlookquiteprosperousandcontented,asthoughyouenjoyedyourpower.\"
Ilaugheduneasily.
\"Andthen,\"shecontinued,\"andthenonedaywhenyourluncheonhasdisagreedwithyou——youwalkintoagalleryandseeaportraitof——ofanoldfriendforwhominyouth,whenyouwereadreamer,youprofessedasentimentalattachment,andyouexclaimthattheartistisadiscerningmanwhohasdiscoveredthesecretthatshehasguardedsoclosely.She\'ssorrythatsheevertriedtoconsoleherselfwithbaublesit\'swhatyou\'vesuspectedallalong.Butyou\'lljustrunaroundtoseeforyourself——tobesureofit.\"Andshehandedmemytea.\"Comenow,confess.Whereareyourwits——Ihearyoudon\'tlackthemincourt.\"