_Yardsley._ I thought so too. I was watching him while you were talking to him, Barlow, and such a look of ennui I never saw on a man's face. _Barlow._ Humph! _Dorothy._ Are you going to Mrs. Van Darling's dinner? _Barlow._ Yes; I received my bid last night. You? _Dorothy._ Oh yes! _Yardsley_ (_gloomily_). I can't go very well. I'm--ah--engaged for Tuesday. _Barlow._ Well, I hope you've let Mrs. Van Darling know. She's a stickler for promptness in accepting or declining her invitations. If you haven't, I'll tell her for you. I'm to see her to-night. _Yardsley._ Oh no! Never mind. I'll--I'll attend to it. _Barlow._ Oh, of course. But it's just as well she should know in advance. You might forget it, you know. I'll tell her; it's no trouble to me. _Dorothy._ Of course not, and she can get some one to take your place. _Yardsley_ (_desperately_). Oh, don't say anything about it. Fact is, she--ah--she hasn't invited me. _Barlow._ Ah! (_Aside._) I knew that all along. Oh, but I'm clever! _Dorothy_ (_hastily, to relieve YARDSLEY'S embarrassment_). Have you seen Irving, Mr. Yardsley? _Yardsley._ Yes. _Barlow_ (_suspiciously_). What in? I haven't seen you at any of the first nights. _Yardsley_ (_with a grin_). In the grill-room at the Players'. _Barlow_ (_aside_). Bah! _Dorothy_ (_laughing_). You are so bright, Mr. Yardsley. _Barlow_ (_forcing a laugh_). Ha, ha, ha! Why, yes--very clever that. It ought to have a Gibson picture over it, that joke. It would help it. Those Gibson pictures are fine, I think. Carry any kind of joke, eh? _Yardsley._ Yes, they frequently do. _Dorothy._ I'm so glad you both like Gibson, for I just dote on him. I have one of his originals in my portfolio. I'll get it if you'd like to see it. [_She rises and goes to the corner of the room, where there stands a portfolio-case._ _Yardsley_ (_aside_). What a bore Barlow is! Hang him! I must get rid of him somehow. [_BARLOW meanwhile is assisting DOROTHY._ _Yardsley_ (_looking around at the others_). Jove! he's off in the corner with her. Can't allow that, for the fact is Barlow's just a bit dangerous--to me. _Dorothy_ (_rummaging through portfolio_). Why, it _was_ here-- _Barlow._ Maybe it's in this other portfolio. _Yardsley_ (_joining them_). Yes, maybe it is. That's a good idea. If it isn't in one portfolio maybe it's in another. Clever thought! I may be bright, Miss Andrews, but you must have observed that Barlow is thoughtful. _Dorothy_ (_with a glance at BARLOW_). Yes, Mr. Yardsley, I have noticed the latter. _Barlow._ Tee-hee! that's one on you, Bob. _Yardsley_ (_obtuse_). Ha, ha! Yes. Why, of course! Ha, ha, ha! For repartee I have always said--polite repartee, of course--Miss Andrews is--(_Aside._) Now what the dickens did she mean by that? _Dorothy._ I can't find it here. Let--me think. Where--can--it--be?