ing calmly and coolly, and beautiful too, by
gad, at the head of the table, chatting as affably with the duke of
Snarleyow and Tommy Dare as though there was nothing in the wind, nerved
me to action. The moment came, and instantly as I leaned over Mrs.
Rockerbilt's side with the fish platter in my hand out went the light;
crash went my elbow into the lady's stunning coiffure; her little,
well-modulated scream of surprise rent the air, and, flash, back came
the lights again. All was as Henriette had foretold, Mrs. Rockerbilt's
lovely blond locks were frightfully demoralized, and the famous tiara
with it had slid aslant athwart her cheek.

"Dear me!" cried Henriette, rising hurriedly and full of warm sympathy.
"How very awkward!"

"Oh, don't speak of it," laughed Mrs. Rockerbilt, amiably. "It is
nothing, dear Mrs. Van Raffles. These electric lights are so very
uncertain these days, and I am sure James is not at all to blame for
hitting me as he has done; it's the most natural thing in the world,
only--may I please run up-stairs and fix my hair again?"

"You most certainly shall," said Henriette. "And I will go with you, my
dear Emily. I am so mortified that if you will let me do penance in
that way I will myself restore order out of this lovely chaos."

The little speech was received with the usual hilarious appreciation
which follows anything out of the usual course of events in high social
circles. Tommy Dare gave three cheers for Mrs. Van Raffles, and Mrs.
Gramercy Van Pelt, clad in a gorgeous red costume, stood up on a chair
and toasted me in a bumper of champagne. Meanwhile Henriette and Mrs.
Rockerbilt had gone above.

* * * * *

"Isn't it a beauty, Bunny," said Henriette the next morning, as she held
up the tiara to my admiring gaze, a flashing, coruscating bit of the
jeweler's art that, I verily believe, would have tempted the soul of
honor itself into rascally ways.

"Magnificent!" I asserted. "But--which is this, the forty-eight-dollar
one or the original?"

"The original," said Henriette, caressing the bauble. "You see, when we
got to my room last night and I had Mrs. Rockerbilt sitting before the
mirror, and despite her protestations was fixing her dishevelled locks
with my own fair hands, I arranged to have the lights go out again just
as the tiara was laid on the dressing-table. The copy was in the table
drawer, and while my right hand was apparently engaged in manipul