--because she was rich!

There was no dodging this fact--Montague did not even try. He had met
women with fortunes already, and he knew how they felt about
themselves, and how the rest of the world felt about them. They might
wish in their hearts to be something else besides the keepers of a
treasure-chest, but their wishes were futile; the money went with them,
and they had to defend it against all comers. Montague recalled one
heiress after another--debutantes, some of them, exquisite and delicate
as butterflies--but under the surface as hard as chain-armour. All
their lives they had been trained to think of themselves as
representing money, and of every one who came near them as adventurers
seeking money. In every word they uttered, in every glance and motion,
one might read this meaning. And then he thought of Laura Hegan, with
the fortune she would inherit; and he pictured what her life must
be--the toadies and parasites and flatterers who would lay siege to
her--the scheming mammas and the affectionate sisters and cousins who
would plot to gain her confidence! For a man who was poor, and who
meant to keep his self-respect, was there any possible conclusion
except that she was entirely unknowable to him?

CHAPTER XVI

Montague came back to the city, and dug into his books again; while
Alice gave her spare hours to watching the progress of the new gown in
which she was to uphold the honour of the family at Mrs. Devon's
opening ball. The great event was due in the next week and Society was
as much excited about it as a family of children before Christmas. All
whom Montague met were invited and all were going unless they happened
to be in mourning. Their gossip was all of the disappointed ones, and
their bitterness and heartburning.

Mrs. Devon's mansion was thrown open early on the eventful evening, but
few would come until midnight. It was the fashion to attend the Opera
first, and previous to that half a dozen people would give big dinners.
He was a fortunate person who did not hear from his liver after this
occasion; for at one o'clock came Mrs. Devon's massive supper, and then
again at four o'clock another supper. To prepare these repasts a dozen
extra chefs had been imported into the Devon establishment for a
week--for it was part of the great lady's pride to permit no outside
caterer to prepare anything for her guests.

Montague had never been able to get over his wonder at the social
phenomenon k