that night, as you will be the embodiment of love.
Be a moth. The most beautiful of them is either the pale-green Luna or
the Yellow Imperialis. Be my moon lady, or my gold Empress."

He took her to the museum and showed her the moths. She instantly
decided on the yellow. Because she knew the shades would make her more
startlingly beautiful than any other colour. To him she said: "A moon
lady seems so far away and cold. I would be of earth and very near on
that night. I choose the Empress."

So she matched the colours exactly, wrote out the idea and forwarded
the order to Paquin. To-night when Philip Ammon came for her, he stood
speechless a minute and then silently kissed her hands.

For she stood tall, lithe, of grace inborn, her dark waving hair high
piled and crossed by gold bands studded with amethyst and at one side
an enamelled lavender orchid rimmed with diamonds, which flashed and
sparkled. The soft yellow robe of lightest weight velvet fitted her form
perfectly, while from each shoulder fell a great velvet wing lined with
lavender, and flecked with embroidery of that colour in imitation of the
moth. Around her throat was a wonderful necklace and on her arms were
bracelets of gold set with amethyst and rimmed with diamonds. Philip had
said that her gloves, fan, and slippers must be lavender, because the
feet of the moth were that colour. These accessories had been made to
order and embroidered with gold. It had been arranged that her mother,
Philip's, and a few best friends should receive his guests. She was to
appear when she led the grand march with Philip Ammon. Miss Carr was
positive that she would be the most beautiful, and most exquisitely
gowned woman present. In her heart she thought of herself as "Imperialis
Regalis," as the Yellow Empress. In a few moments she would stun her
world into feeling it as Philip Ammon had done, for she had taken pains
that the history of her costume should be whispered to a few who would
give it circulation. She lifted her head proudly and waited, for was not
Philip planning something unusual and unsurpassed in her honour? Then
she smiled.

But of all the fragmentary thoughts crossing her brain the one that
never came was that of Philip Ammon as the Emperor. Philip the king of
her heart; at least her equal in all things. She was the Empress--yes,
Philip was but a mere man, to devise entertainments, to provide
luxuries, to humour whims, to kiss hands!

"Ah, my luck!" cr