assurance she accompanied him, contrary
to her sister's advice. It was indeed a brilliant occasion. The wide
rooms of a Madison Avenue palace were thronged, and she had never even
imagined such toilets as caught her eye on every side. There were
so many present that she could easily maintain her position of quiet
spectator, and her eyes dilated with pleasure as she saw that Graydon
was as much a leader as at other places where comparatively few were
present.

At last her attention was attracted by one who was evidently a late
comer, and whose presence appeared to fill the apartment. All the
others paled before her, as do the stars when the moon rises among
them. She was evidently young, and yet she did not suggest youth. One
would almost imagine that she had never had a childhood or a girlhood,
but was rather a direct creation of metropolitan society. Her
exquisitely turned shoulders and arms were bare, and the diamonds
about her neck were a circlet of fire. The complexion of her fair oval
face was singularly pure, and the color came and went so easily as to
prove that it owed nothing to art. The expression of her gray eyes was
rather cold and haughty when at rest, and gave an impression of pride
and the consciousness of power. The trait which to the observant
Madge seemed most marked at first, however, was her perfect ease. Her
slightest movement was grace itself. Her entire self-possession was
indicated by the manner in which she greeted the men who sought her
attention, and many there were. She could be perfectly polite, yet
as repellent as ice, or she could smile with a fascination that even
Madge felt would be hard to resist. This girl, who was such an immense
contrast to herself, wholly fixed her attention as she stood for a few
moments, like a queen, surrounded by her courtiers.

Graydon had gone for a glass of water, and meeting a friend had been
detained for a brief space. Madge saw him coming, saw his eye light up
with admiration as he caught sight of the beautiful stranger, but he
came directly to her, and asked, genially, if there was anything else
she would like.

"Yes. Who is that girl yonder?"

"Miss Wildmere. Isn't she lovely? She promised me, last week, her
first dance for this evening. Will you excuse me for a little while?"

"Certainly;" and yet she was conscious of a sudden and odd little
protest at heart.

He approached the beauty. Miss Wildmere's face flushed with pleasure
and softened into