The studio was taken for three years and furnished. For days Charmian talked and thought of little else. She was prompted, carried on, by two desires--one, that Claude should be able to work hard as soon as possible; the other, that people should realize what an energetic, capable, and enthusiastic woman she was. The Madame Sennier spirit attended her in her goings out and her comings in, armed her with energy, with gaiety, with patience. When at length all was ready, she said: "Claude, to-morrow I want you to do something for me." "What is it? Of course I will do it. You've been so good, giving up everything for the studio." Charmian had really given up several parties, and explained why she could not go to them to inquiring hostesses of the "set." "I want you to let us _pendre la cremaillere_ to-morrow evening all alone, just you and I together." "In the studio?" "Of course." "Well, but"--he smiled, then laughed rather awkwardly--"but what could we do there all alone? What is there to do? And, besides, there's that party at Mrs. Shiffney's to-morrow night. We were both going to that." "We could go there afterward if we felt inclined. But--I don't know that I want to go to Adelaide Shiffney just now." "But why not?" "Perhaps--only perhaps, remember--I'll tell you to-morrow night in the studio." She assumed in the last words that the matter was settled, and Claude raised no further objection. He saw she was set upon the carrying out of her plan. There was will in her long eyes. He could not help fancying that either she had some surprise in store for him, or that she meant to do, or say, something extremely definite, which she had already decided upon in her mind, to-morrow in the studio. He felt slightly uneasy. On the following morning Charmian looked distinctly mysterious, and rather as if she wished Claude to notice her mystery. He ignored it, however, though he realized that some plan must be maturing in her head. His suspicion of the day before was certainly well founded. "What about this evening, Charmian?" he asked. "Oh, we are going to _pendre la cremaillere_. You remember we decided yesterday." "Before or after dinner? And what about Mrs. Shiffney?" "Well, I thought we might go to the studio about half-past seven or eight. Could you meet me there--say at half-past seven?" "Meet you?" "Yes; I've got to go out in that direction and could take it on the way home." "All right. But dinner? That's just at dinner-time--not that I care." "We could have something when we get home. I can tell Alice to put something in the dining-room for us. There's that pie, and we can have a bottle of champagne to drink success to the studio, if we want it." "And Mrs. Shiffney's given up?" "We can see how we feel. She only asked us for eleven. We can easily dress and go, it we want to." So it was settled.