He went on into the other room, holding back the portière for her to follow.
“Why don’t you answer my question?” he insisted as she passed him.
“It is much too silly,” she said sharply. Then in a different tone to her cousin, who still stood by Whitney Barnes, with her color coming and going by turns:
“Oh, Sadie, why didn’t you come with us? Travers has the most wonderful things.”
“Then you are not going to answer my question?” Travers Gladwin asked again.
“I said it was much too silly,” the girl returned with increasing vehemence. Gladwin came forward and explained to Barnes and Sadie:
“I have been asking Miss––er––I’ve been asking how she’d take to the idea of my being Travers Gladwin.”
Helen was now thoroughly aroused as she turned:
“Why do you persist in asking such a question?”