d, will you?" she pursued,
afraid that so much wisdom might be lost. "And, my dear, since your
brother-in-law has gone home, suppose you come along to the opera with
me. I sent some tickets to a few stray men, and I must look in before
the last act."

At this point they were joined by the gentlemen, and as soon as
decency would permit, Mrs. Star made her adieux, followed by Deena.
The Minthrop brougham was dismissed, and the ladies whirled away in
Mrs. Star's electric carriage. She at once took up her parable, but
this time the topic was not the care of infants.

"I think a great deal of the scenic effect of an opera box," she said.
"I always dress with respect to the hangings, and I never take a
discordant color beside me if I can help it. You happen to please me
very much this evening; I like the simplicity of the white dress.
Still, it wouldn't be anything if you didn't have such a neck--it
gives an air to any low gown."

"It was my wedding dress," said Deena, frankly, "and my sister's maid
rearranged it for me. I am glad you like it."

"Your wedding dress," said Mrs. Star, reflectively. "I think I heard
you had married a naturalist--prehistoric bones, is it not? Very
interesting subject--so inspiring. Milliken"--to the footman, who
opened the door on their arrival at the opera house--"you may keep the
carriage here. I shall not be more than half an hour."

Half an hour for the enjoyment of a pleasure that cost her, yearly, a
moderate fortune!

On their way through the foyer to the box, Deena ventured to disclaim
for her husband a peculiar interest in fossils.

"My husband is a botanist," she began, and then desisted when she saw
her companion's attention was barely held by a desire to be civil.

"Ah, indeed!" Mrs. Star vaguely responded. "Delightful topic. I went
into it myself quite extensively when I was a girl."

Deena was not often malicious, but she couldn't help wishing Simeon
could have stood by to hear this announcement of a girlish mastery of
his life's work. She tried to think in what dry words he would have
rebuked the levity, but before she could arrange a phrase quite in
character, they were in the front of the box, and in the obscurity
some one took her hand, and Stephen French's voice murmured:

"What a piece of luck that I should see you to-night! I have only been
in town a few hours, and obeyed my aunt's summons to the opera as a
means of keeping myself from Ben's house till the morning.