You've never told me about that."
She smiled. "No, but I will some time—perhaps."
She led the way out to supper with Dr. Thatcher, and the rest followed without quite breaking off conversation, a merry, witty procession.
Rose was conscious of a readjustment of values. Dr. Thatcher had less weight in the presence of these people, but Mason—Mason easily dominated the table without effort. Indeed, he was singularly silent, but there was something in the poise of his head, in the glance of his eyes, which showed power and insight into life.
The young folks, led by young Harvey took possession of the table, and laughter rippled from silence to silence like a mountain stream. Young Harvey aided at the chafing-dish with the air of an adept, and Isabel was almost as light-hearted in laughter as he.
Thatcher and Mason seemed to sit apart from it, and so it was Mason found opportunity to say:
"You knew our young friend of the coulé—discovered her, in fact?"
"Yes, as much as any one could discover her. It's a little early to talk of her as if she had achieved fame."
"Dr. Herrick thinks she's on the instant of going up higher, and so we're all hanging to her skirts in hopes of getting a rise."
Thatcher didn't like Mason's tone.