As he took his seat beside his
grandfather he was angry at himself--at the sudden boyish pique he felt.
He had not been conscious till then that he had been interested
especially in Madeleine Presson. It needed the presence of this other
young man, selected over his head, to make him understand that one may
not draw near beauty with impunity, even though one may be very
certain--telling his own heart--that love is undreamed of. He wondered
whether he might not be afflicted with asinine pride.
He did not relish the glance that Linton bestowed on him; it seemed
there was just a flash of triumph in it--that bit of a boast one sees in
the eyes of a man who becomes, even briefly, the proprietor of a pretty
woman.
"We were just talking over the latest news--or, rather, it's a rumor,"
said Miss Presson. With quick intuition she felt that something,
somehow, was not just right. She hastened to break the silence. "They
are saying that Mr. Spinney has withdrawn, and that his name will not go
before the convention. Of course, you've heard about it, Herbert--and
Mr.
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