hin in
the palm of his hand, and dreaming thus, Kitty's old French drawing-room
and Kitty herself, her blond prettiness accentuated and enhanced by the
delicate pinks and blues of her gown, vanished, and Marcia seemed to
stand before him all in black and silver as he had seen her recently at a
ball, with violets, great purple violets, falling below the shining
butterfly on her breast, her sweet and wistful smile curving her lips and
her eyes full of light and happiness.

"Bobby, come back!" Kitty touched him petulantly on the arm. "You've been
a million miles away, and you looked so selfishly happy that I feel all
shivery and out in the cold."

"Kitty," he said, "I will confess, when I said, 'Which one?' I was
thinking not only of Miss Oldham, but of the other butterfly lady--the
Mariposa. You know Mariposa means butterfly. Well, it is really the
Mariposa who fascinates me."

"Bobby! What on earth do you mean?" Kitty's expression was a mixture of
Disappointment and indignation.

"Just what I say. The Mariposa fascinates me; but, Kitty," his face
softening, "I love the fairy princess with all my heart. I have loved her
from the first moment I saw her."

"How dear! I have thought so, hoped so, for some time." Her face was all
aglow. "But you frightened me dreadfully, just now. I was afraid you had
gone over to Mademoiselle Mariposa like Wilfred Ames. He is crazy about
her, simply crazy. I did not know he could be crazy over anything, except
the chance of tearing off to some impossible spot to shoot big game."

"Wilfred Ames! Crazy about the Mariposa!" exclaimed Hayden incredulously;
and then he paused, remembering that it was but recently that he had met
Ames at the door of Ydo's apartment.

"Yes." Kitty was sulky again. "It's true. And I wanted him for Marcia.
But Marcia was stupid about it and always laughed at the idea. Horace
Penfield says that he has completely swerved from his allegiance to
Marcia. Just fancy how his mother will behave now. Good for her, I say.
But, Bobby, have you told Marcia?"

"Yes. I couldn't help it, Kitty, but it wasn't fair. I had no right to
say a word until I know how things are going to turn out with me and
that, thank Heaven, will be settled in a day or so." He drew a long sigh.

"Bobby," Kitty was looking at him curiously, and a rather hard abruptness
had crept into her tone, "has she, Marcia, told you anything about
these?" She touched the butterflies clasped about her throat.