hat she did not stand in somebody's light. She was
glad that by a last-moment arrangement she was to arrive at the Grand
Central Station at almost the same moment as Mrs. Carr-Boldt herself,
who was coming home from a three-weeks' visit in the middle west.
Margaret gave only half her attention to the flying country that was
beginning to shape itself into streets and rows of houses; all the
last half hour of the trip was clouded by the nervous fear that she
would somehow fail to find Mrs. Carr-Boldt in the confusion at the
railroad terminal.

But happily enough the lady was found without trouble, or rather
Margaret was found, felt an authoritative tap on her shoulder, caught
a breath of fresh violets, and a glimpse of her patron's clear
skinned, resolute face. They whirled through wet deserted streets;
Mrs. Carr-Boldt gracious and talkative, Margaret nervously interested
and amused.

Their wheels presently grated against a curb, a man in livery opened
the limousine door. Margaret saw an immense stone mansion facing the
park, climbed a dazzling flight of wide steps, and was in a great hall
that faced an interior court, where there were Florentine marble
benches, and the great lifted leaves of palms. She was a little dazed
by crowded impressions; impressions of height and spaciousness and
richness, and opening vistas; a great marble stairway, and a landing
where there was an immense designed window in clear leaded glass;
rugs, tapestries, mirrors, polished wood and great chairs with
brocaded seats and carved dark backs. Two little girls, heavy, well
groomed little girls,--one spectacled and good-natured looking, the
other rather pretty, with a mass of fair hair,--were coming down the
stairs with an eager little German woman. They kissed their mother,
much diverted by the mad rushes and leaps of the two white poodles who
accompanied them.

"These are my babies, Miss Paget," said Mrs. Carr-Boldt. "This
is Victoria, who's eleven, and Harriet, who's six. And these are
Monsieur--"

"Monsieur Patou and Monsieur Mouche," said Victoria, introducing
the dogs with entire ease of manner. The German woman said
something forcibly, and Margaret understood the child's reply
in that tongue: "Mamma won't blame you, Fraulein; Harriet and
I wished them to come down!"

Presently they all went up in a luxuriously fitted little lift,
Margaret being carried to the fourth floor to her own rooms, to which
a little maid escorted her.

Whe