The atmosphere was one of congratulation; the week’s Gazette had transformed Surgeon-Major Livingstone into Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel.  The officer thus promoted, in a particularly lustrous shirt bosom—­he had them laundried in England and sent out with the mails—­made a serious social effort to correspond, and succeeded in producing more than one story of the Principal Medical Officer with her Majesty’s forces in India which none of them heard before.  They were all delighted at Herbert’s step, he was just the kind of person to get a step, and to get it rather early; a sense of the propriety of it mingled with the general gratification.  There was a feeling of ease among them, too, of the indefeasibly won, which the event is apt to bring even when the surgeon-lieutenant-colonelcy is most strikingly deserved.  With no strain imaginable one could see the relaxation.

“We can’t do much in celebration,” Lindsay was saying, “but I’ve got a box at the theatre, if you’ll come.  Our people had some pomfret and oysters over on ice from Bombay this morning, and I’ve sent my share to Bonsard to see what he can do with it for supper.  Jack Cummins and Lady Dolly are coming.  By the way, what do you think the totalizator paid Lady Dolly on Saturday—­six thousand!”

“Rippin’,” Herbert agreed.  “We’ll all come—­at least—­I don’t know.  What do you say, Arnold?”

“Of course Stephen will come,” Alicia urged.  “Why not?” It was putting him and his gown at once beyond the operation of vulgar prejudice, intimating that they quite knew him for what he was.

“What’s the piece?” Herbert inquired.

“Oh, the piece isn’t up to much, I’m afraid, only that Hilda Howe is worth seeing in almost anything.”

“Thanks,” Stephen put in, “but I think, thanks very much, I would rather not.”

“I remember,” Alicia said, “you were with us the night she played in The Reproach of Galilee.  I don’t wonder that you do not wish to disturb that impression.”

Stephen fixed his eyes upon a small pyramid of crystallized cherries immediately in front of him and appeared to consider, austerely, what form his reply should take.  There was an instant’s perceptible pause, and then he merely bowed toward Alicia as if vaguely to acknowledge the kindness of her recollection.  “I think,” he said again, “that I will not accompany you to-night, if you will be good enough to excuse me.”

“You must excuse us both,” Alicia said, definitely, “I should much rather stay at home and talk to Stephen.”

At this they all cried out, but Miss Livingstone would not change her mind.  “I haven’t seen him for three weeks,” she said, with gentle effrontery, making nothing of his presence, “and he’s much more improving than either of you.  I also shall choose the better part.”

“How you can call it that, with Hilda in the balance——­” Duff protested.

“But then you’ve invited Lady Dolly.  After winning six thousand there will be no holding Lady Dolly.  She’ll be capable of cat-calls!  How I should love,” Alicia went on, “to have Hilda meet her.  She would be a mine to Hilda.”