. . . . . . . .
“Did I look nice? Did I seem too dreadfully provincial?” was what Mrs. Elles said to her hostess when the door had closed on the last guest.
Egidia had sunk into a chair, and sat staring at vacancy. Mrs. Elles’s voice recalled her from her reverie.
“Not at all—I mean provincial. You and the Doctor seemed to get on? Did he propose to mesmerize you?”
“Oh, yes!” Mrs. Elles answered eagerly. “Soon. May he? Here in your flat?”
“Certainly!” Egidia replied, feeling now a little apprehension of the consequences. “But you must not believe in him too much. You must not let him get an influence over you!”
“I shouldn’t mind. I am sure he would not use his power for harm against me—or any woman!”
“Oh, no, he is a good old thing!” Egidia said condescendingly. “And this little social trick of his amuses people, and makes him a personage, and asked out a great deal!”
“I believe very much in hypnotism as a serious force in life,” said the other sturdily. “I can’t laugh at it. And I think Dr. André is a most interesting man who could give one a real glimpse into one’s self and into futurity, if he chose, and one turned out to be a good subject.”
“And he thinks you a very pretty woman—he told me so.”