"Yes. It's a wonderful effect of white and gold." "You mustn't say that to her. She was doubtful about her dress, because she says that the ivory white with her hair makes her look just like white and gold furniture." "Present me at once, then, before I forget not to say it to her." "No; I must keep you for some other person: anybody can talk to a pretty girl." Colville said he did not know whether to smile or shed tears at this embittered compliment, and pretended an eagerness for the acquaintance denied him. Mrs. Bowen seemed disposed to intensify his misery. "Did you ever see a more statuesque creature--with those superb broad shoulders and that little head, and that thick braid brought round over the top? Doesn't her face, with that calm look in those starry eyes, and that peculiar fall of the corners of the mouth, remind you of some of those exquisite great Du Maurier women? That style of face is very fashionable now: you might think he had made it so." "Is there a fashion in faces?" asked Colville. "Why, certainly. You must know that." "Then why aren't all the ladies in the fashion?" "It isn't one that can be put on. Besides, every one hasn't got Imogene Graham's figure to carry it off." "That's her name, then--Imogene Graham. It's a very pretty name." "Yes. She's staying with me for the winter. Now that's all I can allow you to know for the present. Come! You must!" "But this is worse than nothing." He made a feint of protesting as she led him away, and named him to the lady she wished him to know. But he was not really sorry; he had his modest misgivings whether he were equal to quite so much young lady as Miss Graham seemed. When he no longer looked at her he had a whimsical impression of her being a heroic statue of herself. The lady whom Mrs. Bowen left him with had not much to say, and she made haste to introduce her husband, who had a great deal to say. He was an Italian, but master of that very efficient English which the Italians get together with unimaginable sufferings from our orthography, and Colville repeated the republican deputy's saying about a constitutional king, which he had begun to think was neat.