“How they are?  How the deuce do I know?  Your mother embroiders and reads The Atlantic Monthly; your father tucks his hands behind him and critically inspects the landscape; and when he doesn’t do that he reads Herbert Spencer.  Your efficient sister nourishes her progeny and does all things thoroughly and well; Gordon digs up some trees and plants others and squirts un-fragrant mixtures over the shrubbery, and sits on fences talking to various Rubes.  Stephanie floats about like a well-fed angel, with a fox-terrier, and makes a monkey of me at tennis whenever I’m lunatic enough to let her, and generally dispenses sweetness, wholesomeness, and light upon a worthy household.  I wouldn’t mind marrying that girl,” he added casually.  “What do you think?”

Neville laughed:  “Why don’t you?  She’s the nicest girl I ever knew—­almost.”

“I’d ask her to marry me,” said Cameron facetiously; “only I’m afraid such a dazzling prospect would turn her head and completely spoil her.”

He spoke gaily and laughed loudly—­almost boisterously.  Neville glanced at him with a feeling that Cameron was slightly overdoing it—­rather forcing the mirth without any particular reason.

After a moment he said:  “Sandy, you don’t have to be a clown if you don’t want to be, you know.”

“Can’t help it,” said Cameron, reddening; “everybody expects it now.  When Ogilvy was here we played in a double ring to crowded houses.  Every seat on the veranda was taken; we turned ’em away, my boy. What was it you started to say about Stephanie?”

“I didn’t start to say anything about Stephanie.”

“Oh, I thought you were going to”—­his voice died into an uncertain grumble.  Neville glanced at him again, thoughtfully.

“You know, Sandy,” he said, “that there’s another side to you—­which, for some occult reason you seem to hide—­even to be ashamed of.”

“Sure I’m ashamed to be a broker with all you highbrows lining out homers for the girls while I have to sit on the bleachers and score ’em up.  If I try to make a hit with the ladies it’s a bingle; and it’s the bench and the bush-league for muh—­”

“You great, overgrown kid!  It’s a pity people can’t see you down town.  Everybody knows you’re the cleverest thing south of Broad and Wall.  Look at all the boards, all the committees, all the directorates you’re mixed up with!  Look at all the time you give freely to others—­look at all your charities, all your:  civic activities, all—­”

“All the hell I raise!” said Cameron, very red.  “Don’t forget that, Louis!”

“You never did—­that’s the wonder and the eternal decency of you, Cameron.  You’re a good citizen and a good man, and you do more for the world than we painters ever could do!  That’s the real truth of it; and why you so persistently try to represent yourself as a commonplace something else is beyond me—­and probably beyond Stephanie Swift,” he added carelessly.