This no doubt accounted for the fact that the two charming Bostonians, Mrs. Maddison and her daughter, who had but lately arrived in Washington and made acquaintance with Roger Barnes, were still evidently in ignorance of what was going on. They were not initiated. They had invited young Barnes in the innocence of their hearts, without inviting Daphne Floyd, whom they did not previously know. And the young man had seen fit to accept their invitation. Hence the jealousy that was clearly burning in Daphne, that she was not indeed even trying to hide from the shrewd eyes of her friend.
Mrs. Verrier's advice not to make Roger Barnes "too important" had called up a flash of colour in the girl's cheeks. But she did not resent it in words; rather her silence deepened, till Mrs. Verrier stretched out a hand and laughingly turned the small face towards her that she might see what was in it.
"Daphne! I really believe you're in love with him!"
"Not at all," said Daphne, her eyelids flickering; "I never know what to talk to him about."
"Elsie Maddison always knows what to talk to him about, and he chatters to her the whole time."
Mrs. Verrier paused a moment, then said: "Do you suppose he came to America to marry money?"
"Do you suppose he knows that you--are not exactly a pauper?"
Daphne drew herself away impatiently. "I really don't suppose anything, Madeleine. He never talks about money, and I should think he had plenty himself."
Mrs. Verrier replied by giving an outline of the financial misfortunes of Mr. Barnes _père_, as they had been described to her by another English traveller in Washington.
Daphne listened indifferently. "He can't be very poor or he wouldn't behave as he does. And he is to inherit the General's property. He told me so."
"And it wouldn't matter to you, Daphne, if you did think a man had married you for money?"
Daphne had risen, and was pacing the drawing-room floor, her hands clasped behind her back. She turned a cloudy face upon her questioner. "It would matter a great deal, if I thought it had been only for money. But then, I hope I shouldn't have been such a fool as to marry him."
"But you could bear it, if the money counted for something?"
"I'm not an idiot!" said the girl, with energy. "With whom doesn't money count for something? Of course a man must take money into consideration." There was a curious touch of arrogance in the gesture which accompanied the words.