or as she gravely thanked him at the end of the day's
journey.

Her father -- he was reputed to possess almost
half a million dollars -- was a silent man, suspicious
and wary in his contact and dealings with the world;
and it was probable that those qualities had been
softened in Pompey Hollidew's daughter to a
habit of diffidence, to a customary, instinctive repression.

No such characteristics laid their restraint on
Buckley Simmons, her present companion. His immobile
face, with its heavy, good features and slow-kindling
comprehension, was at all times expressive
of loud self-assertion, insatiable curiosity, facile confidence;
from his clean shaven lips fell always satisfied
comment, pronouncement, impatient opinion.
If Hollidew was the richest man in Greenstream
Valentine Simmons was a close second. Indeed, one
might be found as wealthy as the other; as a matter
of fact, the Simmons holdings in real estate, scattered
broadcast over the county, would realize more
than Hollidew could readily command -- thus Valentine
Simmons' son, Buckley.

He was elaborately garbed in grey serge, relentlessly
shaped to conform to an exaggerated, passing
fashion, a flaring china silk tie with a broadly displayed
handkerchief to match, yellow-red shoes with
wide ribbands, and a stiff, claret-colored felt hat.

[[14]]

p013 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p014w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p015

v?