So Tony went to the Hostelry with the understanding that if after a few months’ trial she really did dislike it as much as she declared she knew she would they would make other arrangements.  But rather to her chagrin she found herself liking the place very much and enjoying the society of the other girls who were all in the city as she and Jean were, pursuing some art or other.

The dramatic school work was all she had hoped and more, stimulating, engrossing, altogether delightful.  She made friends easily as always, among teachers and pupils, slipped naturally here as in college into a position of leadership.  Tony Holiday was a born queen.

She had plenty of outside diversion too.  Cousin Felice was kind and delighted to pet and exhibit her pretty little kinswoman.  There were fascinating glimpses into high society, delightful private dancing parties in gorgeous ball rooms, motor trips, gay theater parties in resplendent boxes, followed by suppers in brilliant restaurants—­all the pomp and glitter of life that youth loves.

There were other no less genuinely happy occasions spent with Dick Carson, way up near the roof in the theaters and opera house or in queer, fascinating out-of-the-way foreign restaurants.  The two had the jolliest kind of time together, always like two children at a picnic.  Tony was very nice to Dick these days.  He kept her from being too homesick for the Hill and anyway she felt a wee bit sorry for him because he did not know about Alan and those long letters which came so frequently from the retreat in the mountains where the latter was sketching.  She knew she ought to tell Dick how far things had gone but somehow she couldn’t quite drive herself to do it.  She didn’t want to hurt him.  And she did not want to banish him from her life.  She wanted him, needed him just where he was, at her feet, and never bothering her with any inconvenient demands or love-making.  It was selfish but it was true.  And in any case it would be soon enough to worry Dick when Alan came back to town.

And then without warning he was back, very much back.  And with his return the pleasant nicely balanced, casual scheme of things which she had been following so contentedly was knocked sky high.  She had to adjust herself to a new heaven and a new earth with Alan Massey the center of both.  In her delight and intoxication at having her lover near her again, more fascinating and lover-like than ever, Tony lost her head a little, neglected her work, snubbed her friends, refused invitations from Dick and Cousin Felice, and indeed from everybody except Alan.  She went everywhere with him, almost nowhere without him, spent her days and more of her nights than was at all prudent or proper in his absorbing society, had, in short, what she afterward described to Carlotta as a “perfect orgy of Alan.”

At the end of ten days she called a halt, sat down and took honest account of herself and her proceedings and found that this sort of thing would not do.  Alan was too expensive every way.  She could not afford so much of him.  Accordingly with her usual decision and frankness she explained the situation to him as she saw it and announced that henceforth she would see him only twice a week and not as often if she were especially busy.