Of a possible seventy-five or fifty who might have called or left cards, within three weeks after the housewarming only twenty responded.

A week later it had declined to ten, and within five weeks, all told, there was scarcely a caller.

It is true that a very few of the unimportant--those who had looked to her for influence and the self-protecting Taylor Lord and Kent McKibben, who were commercially obligated to Cowperwood--were still faithful, but they were really worse than nothing.

Aileen was beside herself with disappointment, opposition, chagrin, shame.

There are many natures, rhinoceros-bided and iron-souled, who can endure almost any rebuff in the hope of eventual victory, who are almost too thick-skinned to suffer, but hers was not one of these.