you're a vellum edition of the Feminist Movement with suffrage
expurgated. In other words, darling, to a lonely and somewhat morbid
philosopher like Markham you're a horrible example of what may become
of a female person of liberal views who has had the world suddenly laid
in her lap; the spoiled child launched into the full possession of a
fabulous fortune with no ambition more serious than to become the
'champeen lady-aviator of Madison Avenue--'"

"Olga! You're horrid," broke in Hermia.

"I know it. It's the reaction from a morning which began too
cheerfully. I think I'll leave you now, if you'll drop me at the
Blouse Shop--"

"But I thought we were going--"

"No. Not this morning. The mood has passed."

"Oh, very well," said Hermia.

The two pecked each other just below the eye after the manner of women
and the Countess departed, while Hermia quizzically watched her
graceful back until it had disappeared in the shadows of the store.
The current that usually flowed between them was absent now, so Hermia
let her go; for Olga Tcherny, when in this mood, wore an armor which
Hermia, clever as she thought herself, had never been able to
penetrate.

Hermia continued on her way uptown, aware that the change in the
Countess Olga was due to intangible influences which she could not