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Spires and Gargoyles
Sallyhadpaintedhiminsuchglowingcolors—hewasgood-looking,"sortofdistinguished,whenhewantstobe,"hadaline,andwasproperlyinconstant.Infact,hesummedupalltheromancethatherageandenvironmentledhertodesire.Shewonderedifthosewerehisdancing-shoesthatfox-trottedtentativelyaroundthesoftrugbelow.
Allimpressionsand,infact,allideaswereextremelykaleidoscopictoIsabelle.Shehadthatcuriousmixtureofthesocialandtheartistictemperamentsfoundoftenintwoclasses,societywomenandactresses.Hereducationor,rather,hersophistication,hadbeenabsorbedfromtheboyswhohaddangledonherfavor;hertactwasinstinctive,andhercapacityforlove-affairswaslimitedonlybythenumberofthesusceptiblewithintelephonedistance.Flirtsmiledfromherlargeblack-browneyesandshonethroughherintensephysicalmagnetism.
Soshewaitedattheheadofthestairsthateveningwhileslipperswerefetched.Justasshewasgrowingimpatient,Sallycameoutofthedressing-room,beamingwithheraccustomedgoodnatureandhighspirits,andtogethertheydescendedtothefloorbelow,whiletheshiftingsearch-lightofIsabelle’smindflashedontwoideas:shewasgladshehadhighcolorto-night,andshewonderedifhedancedwell.
Down-stairs,intheclub’sgreatroom,shewassurroundedforamomentbythegirlsshehadmetintheafternoon,thensheheardSally’svoicerepeatingacycleofnames,andfoundherselfbowingtoasextetofblackandwhite,terriblystiff,vaguelyfamiliarfigures.
