In one short week, as it seemed to her, she had been utterly eclipsed and thrown aside.

Bob Vernon too, whose fancy for her, as shown in various winter dances, had made her immensely proud, he being then in that momentary limelight which flashes on the Blue, as he passes over the Oxford scene--Vernon had scarcely had a word for her.

She never knew that he cared about pictures! And there was Connie--knowing everything about pictures!--able to talk about everything! As she had listened to Connie's talk, she had felt fairly bewildered.

Of course it was no credit to Connie to be able to rattle off all those names and things.

It was because she had lived in Italy.