The others tried in vain to follow her example. Dr. Everett
could not speak of him in this way without slight hesitation and a touch
of embarrassment. "The truth is," said he, "I think _Dirk_ all the
week, and on the Sabbath I find it impossible to reach up to 'Mr.
Colson' without an effort." There was no touch of "reaching up" or
reaching down, about Mrs. Roberts' talk with her pupils. It is possible
that this is one link in the chain of influence which she was weaving
around them.
Gracie Dennis' face expressed curiosity, and when they were seated in
the carriage, she referred to the cause:--
"But Flossy, I cannot imagine why you should want to do such a thing. It
will certainly be too late to-night to try to get acquainted with her. I
should think some time when you could have an unbroken evening would be
the better for experimenting."
"For some sorts of experimenting it would," Mrs. Roberts answered,
smiling quietly; "my experiment, in part at least, was to see how the
pink room might impress her."
"Flossy Shipley!"
When Gracie took refuge in that name her hostess knew she was not only
much excited, but a trifle disapproving; at such times she made haste to
change the subject.
It happened that the thing for which she had been planning, shaped
itself so naturally as to give not the slightest color or premeditation
to the act.
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