"Mr. Stanton's box?" she asked.
"Yes," said Beverly. "I wanted to see Charlotte and Octavie."
"And Miss Stanton?" added his mother. Beverly made no reply.
"You were at her house yesterday," said Mrs. Cruger.
"Yes."
"Beverly, you must be careful! Your father objects to Miss Stanton."
"Objects to her friendship for my cousins?"
"No, to your friendship for her," replied his mother. "You have already shown her marked attention. She is a very beautiful girl, and he is afraid that the intimacy may ripen into something more than mere friendship."
Beverly was unusually silent during the progress of the opera, and when they arrived home he went straight to his father's study.
Andrew Cruger occupied a position of leadership in New York society that practically made his position unassailable. He was not a rich man, but he was the most highly respected diplomat in America; a scholarly gentleman, the friend of kings and presidents. He had been of the greatest possible assistance to the secretaries of state of both parties in solving international problems. The respect of the entire world was his and he was far more solicitous about his good name than about his financial [Transcriber's note: A line of the book appears to be missing here, but the sentence probably ends with "affairs", "business", or something similar.]