The
words of her companion of the afternoon had given her a new sense of
the honor of a visit from her prospective brother-in-law, although this
increased her diffidence rather than her pleasure.
"Was Mr. Fenton there this afternoon?" she asked, at length, simply for
the sake of saying something.
The face of her companion darkened.
"Damn Fenton!" he returned, with coarse brutality. "He's a cad and a
snob; he says Herman ought to have made the _America_, and he abuses my
model without ever having seen it."
The remark of Fenton's which had given offence to Stanton had been made
at the club in comment upon a photograph of the model which somebody
was showing.
"The only capitol thing about it," Fenton had said, "is the headgear."
The remark was severe rather than witty, and it was its severity which
had given it wings to bear it to the sculptor's ears.
"I don't like Mr. Fenton very well," Milly admitted, "but Mrs. Fenton
is perfectly lovely; she's been awfully good to me."
By way of reply the sculptor, with a somewhat ponderous air, unbuttoned
his coat and produced a red leather pocket-book. This he opened, took
out a handful of bills, and proceeded to count them with great
deliberation. Melissa watched while he counted out a sum which seemed
to have been fixed in his mind. He smoothed the package of bills in his
hand, then he glanced up at her furtively as if to ascertain whether
she knew how much he had laid out.
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