She had aroused his combativeness by telling him that if his
convictions forced him to vote against the Feltonville interest, people
would say he was bought. She knew that now this was said, and that
openly;--indeed, despite all her shrewdness and knowledge of human
nature, she had moments when she wondered whether the charge might not
be true, so incomprehensible did it seem that a man should throw away
his own advantage. She had no sentiment strong enough to make her
hesitate about going on to sacrifice Greenfield to her own interests,
but she distinctly disliked the fact that Irons should also profit by
the senator's loss.
All day the widow pondered deeply on the situation, and the result of
the chance disclosure of John Stanton was that when her guests arrived
she made an opportunity to take Irons aside for a moment's confidential
talk.
The widow's dinner-party was a somewhat singular one to give in
compliment to a young girl, there being no one of the guests near Miss
Merrivale's own age except Fred Rangely. The widow's acquaintance among
women whom she could ask to meet the New Yorker was limited, and having
decided upon inviting Greenfield, Irons, and Rangely to dinner, the
hostess sat gnawing her stylographic pen in despair a good half hour
before she could decide upon a fourth guest. A woman she must have, and
few women whom she wished to ask would come to her house even to call.
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