But she was far less conservative than any woman Price had met in San Francisco.

Although she was no longer young he had more than once detected symptoms of a wild and insurgent spirit, and an impatient contempt for the routine she was compelled to follow or go into retirement.

She was always leaving abruptly for Europe, and every once in a while she did something quite uncanonical; enjoying wickedly the consternation she caused among the serenely regulated, and betraying to the keen eyes of the New Yorker an ironic appreciation of the immense wealth which enabled her to do as she chose, answerable to no one.

Her husband was uxorious and she had no children.

She had seemed to Price more restless than usual of late and showing unmistakable signs of abrupt departure.