After that curious evening, there seemed to be a tremendous emotional upheaval. Artie hardly came near Flora, and when he did call, appeared to derive much satisfaction from gazing at her with a quizzical look in his eyes which seemed to annoy her excessively. The Also Ran was omnipresent, and was instant in season, out of season. But instead of arousing Artie's jealousy, this seemed only to amuse him. Finally the cause of Artie's visits developed. He blurted it out to me one day with the red face of a shamed schoolboy. "Faith, I wish you'd do me the favour to ask Cary Farquhar here some evening, and let me know! I've been going there till I'm ashamed to face the butler, but I never can see her alone, and the last two times she has sent down her excuses, and wouldn't see me at all." I could have squealed for joy, but, mindful of Cary's dignity, I said: "I don't believe she'd come, Artie. I'm afraid--" "Afraid that she'd suspect that I would be here too? I don't believe I've made it as plain as that!" he interrupted. "Do you mean to say that you are really and truly--?" "I mean just that," he said, with a new earnestness in his manner, that I never had noted before. "Oh, Artie!" I cried. "I'm _so_ glad! But what if she's--" "Don't say it! It makes me cold all over to think of it. That's why I want you to ask her here. I've _got_ to see her. Why, Faith, she's--really, Faith, she's the _only_ girl in the world, now _isn't_ she?" "So I've thought for years!" I cried, warmly. "Talk about love being instantaneous," said Artie, plunging his hands into his pockets, and striding up and down. "I've loved her and loved her _hard_ ever since she explained what love meant to her that night at your dinner. Why, if I could get her to love _me_ that way, I'd be richer than John D! But shucks! She never will! What am _I_, I'd like to know, to expect such a miracle?" "You're very nice!" I stuttered, in my haste, "and just the man for her, both Aubrey and I think, but I'll tell you where the trouble is. She thinks you belong to Flora."