ShewastoowisetotellhimthatthedresswouldnotbewornagainuntilBrentwastoseeit。Thehatshetookoutoftheclosetfromtimetotimeandexperimentedwithit，reshapingthebrim，studyingthedifferenteffectsofdifferentangles。
ItdelightedSpensertocatchheratthis“foolishness“；hefeltsosuperior，andwithhisincurabledelusionoftheshallowthatdressisanend，notmerelyameans，hefeltmoreconfidentthaneverofbeingabletoholdherwhenheshouldhavethemoneytobuyherwhatherfrivolousandfemininenatureevidentlycravedbeyondallelseintheworld。But——
Whenheboughtaready-to-weareveningsuit，hemademorestiraboutitthanhadSusanabouthercostume——this，whendresstohimwasaltogetheranendinitselfandnotashrewdandusefulmeans。Hespentmoretimeinadmiringhimselfinitbeforethemirror，andlookedatit，andathimselfinit，withfarmoreadmirationandnocriticismatall。Susannotedthis——andafterthemannerofwomenwhoarewiseorindifferent——orboth——shemadenocomment。
AtthestudiofloorofBrent”shousethedooroftheelevatorwasopenedforSusanbyasmallyoungmanwithanotablylargehead，baldandbulging。Hisbigsmoothfacehadtheexpressionofextremeamiabilitythatusuallygoeswithweaknessandtimidity。“IamMr。Brent”ssecretary，Mr。
Garvey，“heexplained。AndSusan——madeasaccurateasquickinherjudgmentsofcharacterbytheopportunitiesandthenecessitiesofherexperience——sawthatshehadbeforeheroneofthosenicefeeblefolkwhoeithergettheshelterofsomestrongpersonalityasabirdhidesfromthestorminthethickbranchesofagreattreeoraretossedandtornandruinedbylifeandexistmiserablyuntilrescuedbydeath。Sheknewthetypewell；ithadbeenthedominanttypeinhersurroundingseversincesheleftSutherland。Indeed，isitnotthedominanttypeinthewholeill-equipped，sore-triedhumanrace？Anddoesitnotusuallyfailofrecognitionbecausesomanyofuswhoareinfactweak，look——andfeel——strongbecauseweareshelteredbyinheritedmoneyorbypowerfulfriendsorrelativesorbychancelodgmentinanookunvisitedofthehighwindsoflifeintheopen？SusanlikedGarveyatonce；theyexchangedsmilesandwerefriends。