ite, with slender
little figure and mincing gait, and the delicate hands and soft voice
of a woman. He was dressed for the afternoon parade, and wore a
wonderful scarlet orchid in his buttonhole. Montague's hand he shook at
his shoulder's height; but when Alice came in he did not shake hands
with her. Instead, he stood and gazed, and gazed again, and lifting his
hands a little with excess of emotion, exclaimed, "Oh, perfect!
perfect!"

"And Ollie, I told you so!" he added, eagerly. "She it tall enough to
wear satin! She shall have the pale blue Empire gown--she shall have
the pale blue Empire gown if I have to pay for it myself! And oh, what
times we shall have with that hair! And the figure--Reval will simply
go wild!"

So Reggie prattled on, with his airy grace; he took her hand and
studied it, and then turned her about to survey her figure, while Alice
blushed and strove to laugh to hide her embarrassment. "My dear Miss
Montague," he exclaimed, "I bring all Gotham and lay it at your feet!
Ollie, your battle is won! Won without firing a shot! I know the very
man for her--his father is dying, and he will have four millions in
Transcontinental alone. And he is as handsome as Antinous and as
fascinating as Don Juan! Allons! we may as well begin with the
trousseau this afternoon!"

CHAPTER III

Oliver was not rooming with them; he had his own quarters at the club,
which he did not wish to leave. But the next morning, about twenty
minutes after the hour he had named, he was at the door, and Montague
went down.

Oliver's car was an imported French racer. It had only two seats, open
in front, with a rumble behind for the mechanic. It was long and low
and rakish, a most wicked-looking object; whenever it stopped on the
street a crowd gathered to stare at it. Oliver was clad in a black
bearskin coat, covering his feet, and with cap and gloves to match; he
wore goggles, pushed up over his forehead. A similar costume lay ready
in his brother's seat.

The suits of clothing had come, and were borne in his grips by his
valet. "We can't carry them with us," said Oliver. "He'll have to take
them down by train." And while his brother was buttoning up the coat,
he gave the address; then Montague clambered in, and after a quick
glance over his shoulder, Oliver pressed a lever and threw over the
steering-wheel, and they whirled about and sped down the street.

Sometimes, at home in Mississippi, one would meet automobili