e they? I am old enough to know."

"I don't propose to tell you. He was notoriously wild. There were
scandals. Hush! here comes Scott."

"For Heaven's sake, pinch some colour into your cheeks!" exclaimed her
brother; "we're not going to a wake!"

And Kathleen said anxiously: "Your gown is perfection, dear; are you a
trifle tired? You do look pale."

"Tired?" repeated Geraldine--"not in the least, dearest.... If I seem
not to be excited, I really am, internally; but perhaps I haven't
learned how to show it.... Don't I look well? I was so preoccupied with
my gown in the mirror that I forgot to examine my face."

Mrs. Severn kissed her. "You and your gown are charming. Come, we are
late, and that isn't permitted to debutantes."

* * * * *

It was Mrs. Magnelius Grandcourt who was giving the first dinner and
dance for Geraldine Seagrave. In the cloak-room she encountered some
very animated women of the younger married set, who spoke to her
amiably, particularly a Mrs. Dysart, who said she knew Duane Mallett,
and who was so friendly that a bit of colour warmed Geraldine's pallid
cheeks and still remained there when, a few minutes later, she saluted
her heavily jewelled hostess and recognised in her the fat fore-and-aft
lady of the day before.

Mrs. Magnelius Grandcourt, glittering like a South American scarab,
detained her with the smallest and chubbiest hands she had ever seen
inside of gloves.

"My dear, you look ghastly," said her hostess. "You're probably scared
to death. This is my son, Delancy, who is going to take you in, and I'm
wondering about you, because Delancy doesn't get on with debutantes, but
that can't be helped. If he's pig enough not to talk to you, it wouldn't
surprise me--and it's just as well, too, for if he likes anybody he
compromises them, but it's no use your ever liking a Grandcourt, for all
the men make rotten husbands--I'm glad Rosalie Dysart threw him over for
poor Jack Dysart; it saved her a divorce! I'd get one if I could; so
would Magnelius. My husband was a judge once, but he resigned because he
couldn't send people up for the things he was doing himself."

Mrs. Grandcourt, still gabbling away, turned to greet new arrivals,
merely switching to another subject without interrupting her steady
stream of outrageous talk. She was celebrated for it--and for nothing
else.

Geraldine, bewildered and a little horrified, looked at her billowy,
bediamonded h