Maud had to content herself with the fact of the invitation and Horatia was more than contented with the event itself. She enjoyed the simple dinner in the lovely big house and the visit to the nursery where every device for good health and happiness had been joined together and she enjoyed the conversation of the Clapp family. At Maud’s one always had a sense of striving or of smug content in attainment, but these people were not like that at all. They were living as it seemed best and wise and happy to live--luxuriously but unpretentiously. So Anthony would live, surrounded by his nurseries and his children and his servants and his pleasant diversions. They talked of Italy and of a proposed trip to China. It made her feel ignorant and little. But she looked neither ignorant nor little, with her face glowing with interest and the table candles bringing out the color in her blue gown and the dusky shadows of her hair. She looked charming and she was charming and the Clapps admitted it cordially to Anthony. “That’s all right,” said Anthony. “Of course you’d like her. The question is how did we strike her?” Mr. Clapp was talking to Horatia during this colloquy. Anthony’s sister talked to her later. “You must see a great deal of the world from your office, Miss Grant.” “A great deal.” “It’s a very fascinating sight, of course. Romantic, full of excitement.” “Why does everyone think I’m romantic on first sight?” wondered Horatia aloud. “You are romantic. It’s romantic in itself that a beautiful young girl goes out to work in a newspaper office. I know that lots of them do but they haven’t yet dried up the romance. Because beauty and charm in a woman were designed for such other purposes.” Horatia frowned. “You don’t really think that?” “I think so. Beauty and charm mean love and love means life. That’s why it excites us to see beauty.” “So many people say I’m good-looking now. Do you know I was a frightful little girl?” “That’s natural enough. But it’s not your face or features. It’s what lights you up from within.” She took Horatia’s hands in both of hers as she said good night. “Be good to Anthony,” she said, “and don’t let your fires be dimmed, will you?” “I’ve met a splendid woman,” said Horatia to Jim, next day. “Do you know Mrs. Clapp?” “She is splendid,” agreed Langley. “Yes. I was brought up with her. We went to school together. So Anthony wants you to know her. You’d better. She is a real person.” “Jim,” Horatia went on, “why don’t you keep up with people like that instead of this Hubbell crowd? Don’t you like nice people better than anything? Not that Mrs. Hubbell isn’t nice. But after all she hasn’t much to contribute, now has she?” “She can dance,” he answered lightly. “What’s dancing?” “It’s quite a lot of fun.”