Page:What Maisie Knew (Chicago & New York, Herbert S. Stone & Co., 1897).djvu/80

66 things had lurched back into their places, that poor lady, quite defeated of the last word, had soundlessly taken flight.

 VIII

Mrs. Wix's retreat, Miss Overmore appeared to recognize that she was not exactly in a position to denounce Ida Farange's second union; but she drew from a table-drawer the photograph of Sir Claude and, standing there before Maisie, bent her eyes on it for some moments.

"Isn't he beautiful?" the child ingenuously asked.

Her companion hesitated. "No; he's horrid!" she, to Maisie's surprise, sharply returned. But she looked for another minute; after which she handed back the picture. It appeared to Maisie herself to exhibit a fresh attraction, and she was embarrassed, for she had never before had occasion to differ from her lovely friend. So she only could ask what, such being the case, she should do with it: should she put it quite away—where it wouldn't be there to offend? On this Miss Overmore again deliberated;