Laura received Mr. Philip with a courtesy and a slight hauteur that

rather surprised and not a little interested him. He saw at once that

she was older than Harry, and soon made up his mind that she was leading

his friend a country dance to which he was unaccustomed. At least he

thought he saw that, and half hinted as much to Harry, who flared up at

once; but on a second visit Philip was not so sure, the young lady was

certainly kind and friendly and almost confiding with Harry, and treated

Philip with the greatest consideration. She deferred to his opinions,

and listened attentively when he talked, and in time met his frank manner

with an equal frankness, so that he was quite convinced that whatever she

might feel towards Harry, she was sincere with him. Perhaps his manly

way did win her liking. Perhaps in her mind, she compared him with

Harry, and recognized in him a man to whom a woman might give her whole

soul, recklessly and with little care if she lost it. Philip was not

invincible to her beauty nor to the intellectual charm of her presence.

The week seemed very short that he passed in Hawkeye, and when he bade

Laura good by, he seemed to have known her a year.

We shall see you again, Mr. Sterling," she said as she gave him her

hand, with just a shade of sadness in her handsome eyes.

And when he turned away she followed him with a look that might have

disturbed his serenity, if he had not at the moment had a little square

letter in his breast pocket, dated at Philadelphia, and signed "Ruth."

209

The Gilded Age