Ah! she would go to this ball to-night; Aldous Raeburn would parade her as his possession; but she would go with thoughts, ambitions, ideals, which, as they developed, would make her more and more difficult for a Raeburn to deal with.

And in those thoughts and ambitions the man who had been her tormentor, teacher, and companion during six rushing weeks knew well that he already counted for much.

He had cherished in her all those "divine discontents" which were already there when he first knew her; taught her to formulate them, given her better reasons for them; so that by now she was a person with a far more defined and stormy will than she had been to begin with.

Wharton did not particularly know why he should exult; but he did exult.

At any rate, he was prodigiously tickled--by the whole position.
A step, a rustle outside--he hastily shut his book and listened.
The door opened, and Marcella came in--a white vision against the heavy blue of the walls.