and I must confess that I myself was more than a little impressed
when I entered. I realized then that on the ship nothing had been
in her favor; she had been completely out of her element, and she
was not a good sailor.

Here all was different. The stiffly ostentatious hotel rooms, by
her own genius or that of her maid, had been transformed into
something very nearly approaching perfection. I was amazed at the
excellent taste displayed in her furniture and its arrangement,
for it was clear that these were no hotel properties. Certainly a
woman is at her best only when she is able to choose or create
her own surroundings.

Harry was captivated, and I can scarcely blame him. But the poor
lad betrayed himself so frankly! Though I suppose Le Mire was
more or less accustomed to immediate surrender.

On that day, at least, she had reason to expect it. She
satisfied the eye, which is saying a great deal and is the
highest praise possible for a woman's beauty, when you consider
the full strength of the word.

She was radiant, adorable, irresistible; I had to own that my
first impression of her had been far too weak.

We talked for an hour. Harry had little to say as he sat
devouring Le Mire with his eyes, and whenever she turned to him
for an answer to a question or confirmation of an opinion he
stammered and kept his composure with difficulty. Never, I
suppose, did woman have clearer evidence of her power, nor