"Why, I told you," Edith said, coming over to the tea table; "I dragged him from his desk!"
"Come, Edith, we must go," Mrs. Houghton said, rising.
"Why don't you stay to dinner?" Maurice urged—but Eleanor was silent. "If you are in town next week, Skeezics, you've got to put up here. Understand? Tell her so, Eleanor!"
Eleanor said nothing. Mrs. Houghton said she was afraid it wouldn't be convenient.
Eleanor said nothing.
"Of course you will come here!" Maurice said; he was sharply angry at his wife.
In the momentary and embarrassing pause, the color flew into Edith's face, but she was elaborately indifferent. "Good-by, Eleanor; good-by, Maurice!"
"I'm going to escort you to the hotel," Maurice said; and, over his shoulder to Eleanor: "I've got to rush off to St. Louis to-night, Eleanor. That Greenleaf business. Has Mrs. O'Brien brought my things home?"'
"I'll see," she said, mechanically....
Nobody had much to say on that walk to the hotel; but when Maurice had left them, and the two ladies were in their room, Edith faced her mother: