Ludlow went off to speak to Mrs. Westley of something he saw her looking at; Charmian edged nearer to Cornelia. "I would give the world to be in your place. I never saw anything like it. Keep on looking just as you are! It's magnificent. Such color, and that queenly pose of the head! It would kill those Synthesis girls if they knew how he had been talking to you. My, if I could get anybody to be serious with _me_! Talk! Say something! _Do you think its going to rain before we get home?_ His eyes keep turning this way, all the time; you can't see them, but they do. _I am glad I brought my umbrella. Have you got your waterproof?_ I'm going to make you tell me every word he said when he came to see you yesterday; it'll be mean if you don't. _No, I think I shall go up by the elevated, and then take the surface-car across._ It's the most romantic thing I ever heard of. _No, I don't believe it will be dark._ Speak! Say something! You mustn't let me do all the talking; he'll notice." Cornelia began to laugh, and Charmian turned away and joined Mrs. Westley and Ludlow, who were tilting outward some of the canvasses faced against the wall, and talking them over. Cornelia followed her, and they all four loitered over the paintings, luxuriously giving a glance at each, and saying a word or two about it. "Yes," Ludlow said, "sometimes I used to do three or four of them a day. I work more slowly now; if you want to get any thinking in, you've got to take time to it." It was growing dark; Ludlow proposed to see them all home one after another. Mrs. Westley said no, indeed; the Broadway car, at the end of the second block, would leave her within three minutes of her door. "And nothing could happen in three minutes," said Ludlow. "That stands to reason." "And _my_ one luxury is going home alone," said Charmian. "Mamma doesn't allow it, except to and from the Synthesis. Then I'm an art student and perfectly safe. If I were a young lady my life wouldn't be worth anything." "Yes," Ludlow assented, "the great thing is to have some sort of business to be where you are." "I know a girl who's in some of the charities, and she goes about at all hours of the night, and nobody speaks to her," said Charmian. "Well, then," said Ludlow, "I don't see that there's anything for me to do, unless we all go together with Mrs. Wesley to get her Broadway car, and then keep on to the Elevated with you, Miss Maybough. Miss Saunders may be frightened enough then to let me walk to her door with her. A man likes to be of some little use in the world." They had some mild fun about the weakness of Cornelia in needing an escort. She found it best to own that she did not quite know her way home, and was afraid to ask if she got puzzled.