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416 been, or so Teresa fancied, an equally unavoidable recognition. Now she passionately regretted having insisted on going.

"Did you enjoy it?" asked Basil coolly.

"No! … Why, did you?"

"Certainly not. I was bored to tears—but I expected to be. I thought you seemed to be amusing yourself."

"I wasn't, though."

"At any rate, you were amusing Fairfax and some of those college boys. And I haven't seen you look as gay for weeks. Why don't you admit that you enjoyed your flirtations?"

Basil had become aggressive and rather excited.

"Don't talk nonsense," said Teresa wearily.

"Nonsense, is it? Why, you were got up so that no man in the room could help looking at you. I never saw you dressed that way before. I thought it rather bad form."

"I daresay you prefer Mrs. Perry's form. I thought you looked at her appreciatively."

"You thought nothing of the sort. I don't know what you call the way Fairfax looked at you. It was indecent."

"Was it? How interesting. I didn't observe it."

"Then you were the only person in the room who didn't. You mean you liked it, I suppose. Of course, you can get plenty of that sort of thing, if you like it. You're beautiful, and you can have