Troup pushed back his plate abruptly, and Baron Steuben burst into a panegyric.  Fish replied that he had not intended to go, but should change his mind for the sake of the sensation he must create with such a lion in tow.  He left the table shortly after, to dress, followed by Steuben, who announced his intention to make one of the party.  The host and Troup were left alone.

“What is the matter?” asked Hamilton, smiling.  “I see you disapprove of something.  Surely you have not lost your heart—­”

“Nonsense,” exclaimed Troup, roughly, “but I have always hoped you would never meet her.”

“Have you?”

“If you want to know the truth she has pumped me dry about you.  She did it so adroitly that it was some time before I discovered what she was up to.  At first I wondered if she were a spy, and I changed my first mind to avoid her, determined to get to the bottom of her motives.  I soon made up my mind that she was in love with you, and then I began to tremble, for she is not only a very witch of fascination, but she has about forty times more power of loving, or whatever she chooses to call it, than most women, and every mental attraction and fastidious refinement, besides.  There is not a good woman in the country that could hold her own against her.  I have no wish to slander her, and have never discussed her before; but my instincts are strong enough to teach me that a woman whose whole exterior being is a promise, will be driven by the springs of that promise to redeem her pledges.  And the talk of you banishes all that regal calm from her face and lets the rest loose.  I suppose I am a fool to tell you this, but I’ve been haunted by the idea from the first that if you know this woman, disaster will come of it.  I do not mean any old woman’s presentiment, but from what I know of her nature and yours.  You do astonishingly few erratic things for a genius, but in certain conditions you are unbridled, and my only hope has been that the lightning in you would strike at random without doing much harm—­to you, at all events.  But this volcano has a brain in it, and great force of character.  She will either consume you, ruining your career, or if you attempt to leave her she will find some way to ruin you still.  God knows I’m no moralist, but I am jealous for your genius and your future.  This has been a long speech.  I hope you’ll forgive it.”

Hamilton had turned pale, and he hacked at the mahogany with the point of his knife.  He made no attempt to laugh off Troup’s attack, Troup watched him until he turned pale himself.  “You have met her,” he said abruptly.

Hamilton rose and pushed back his chair.  “I promise you one thing,” he said:  “that if I happen to lose my nethermost to Mrs. Croix, the world shall never be the wiser.  That I explicitly promise you.  I dislike extremely the position in which I put the lady by these words, but you will admit that they mean nothing, that I am but striving to allay your fears—­which I know to be genuine.  She will probably flout me.  I shall probably detest her conversation.  But should the contrary happen, should she be what you suspect, and should a part of my nature which has never been completely accommodated, annihilate a resistance of many months, at least you have my assurance that worse shall not happen.”