most expensive magnificent afternoon frocks; and they all have lovely
Cartier jewelled watches, and those beautiful black ribbon and diamond
chains round their necks, like Harry gave me last birthday. No one wears
old fashioned or ugly jewels, all are in exquisite taste, while the pearls
at one lunch would have paid for a kingdom.

When everyone has been presented to us, being the strangers, luncheon is
announced, and we go into a magnificent dining-room, sometimes with the
blinds so much drawn that we have to have electric lights. The footmen are
in full dress, with silk stockings, and one or two places they had them
powdered, and that did make Octavia smile. I don't think one ought to have
powder unless it has been the custom of the family for generations, do you,
Mamma? Well, then, beside each person's plate, beyond the countless food
implements lying on the lace-encrusted cloth, are lovely bunches of
orchids, or whatever is the most rare and difficult to get; and cocktails
have sometimes been handed in the salon before, and sometimes are handed in
the dining-room, but at the ladies' lunches in very small glasses.

With such heaps of divorces, in a very large party you can't help having
some what Mrs. Van Brounker-Courtfield (a perfect old darling of nearly
eighty whom we lunched with on Wednesday) calls "court relations,"
together; by that meaning, supposing Mrs. A. has divorced Mr. A., and
re-married Mr. B., who has been divorced by Mrs. B., who has re-married Mr.
C., who happened to be a widower with grown up married daughters--then the
daughters and the present Mrs. B., late Mrs. A., would be "court
relations," and might meet at lunch. Mr. A. himself and his present wife
would also be the late Mrs. B.'s and present Mrs. C.'s court relations. Do
you understand, Mamma? It is the sort of ones connected with the case whom
it would be unpleasant to speak about it to, but not the actual principals.
And when I asked Mrs. Van Brounker-Courtfield why she called them "court
relations" she said because the divorce court was their common ground of
connection, and it was a very good reason, and quite as true as calling
people blood relations in London or Paris! And that pleased Octavia very
much, because she said it was the first subtle thing she had heard in New
York. But I must get on with the lunch.

You begin your clam broth (such an "exquit" soup, as Ermyntrude would call
it), and the lady next you says she has been "j