“You will entertain a great deal, I presume—that sort of thing?”
“We shall hope to make friends with people—and to meet old friends. It is such a pleasant surprise to find you here. I heard you were settled in Paris.”
“So I was, for several years; the Parisians said nice things about my pictures. But one may weary even of Paris. I returned here two years ago, and am now as much of a fixture in New York as if I’d never left it.”
“But not a permanent fixture. Shall we never see you in London?”
“My present probabilities lie rather in the direction of California. I want to make some studies of the scenery and the atmosphere. Besides, I am getting too old to think of another European residence.”
“No one gets old after thirty—especially no bachelor!” she answered, with a smile. “But if you
