they positively frightened you." 

 He drew a long breath of relief. "They're enough to make any one's eyes pop out." 

 She touched the huge silver insect on her breast. "Are they not dreams?" she said complacently. [Pg 74]"One is simply nobody this winter unless one has them; and the beauty of it is they are so difficult to secure." 

[Pg 74]

 "Miss Oldham wears a set," he announced boldly. 

 "Oh, of course." She shot him a quick, rather surprised glance. "Have you met Marcia yet?" 

 "Yes—just met her, not very long ago." 

 "How odd that she didn't speak of it!" exclaimed Kitty. "But," enthusiastically, "isn't she a dear? Do you know, Bobby, I do not believe that there is any one in the world, with the possible exception of Warren, that I am half so fond of as I am Marcia? She is everything, the most all‑around person you can imagine, and so gifted. She did the loveliest little water‑color for me while we were away. I will show it to you some time." 

 At this moment, their conversation was interrupted by the lady with the blue fillet. She had not succeeded in getting even a hearing from the man on the other side of her. He showed a [Pg 75]marked preference for his lobster in aspic, entirely ignoring the charms of her conversation and giving her very definitely to understand that he longed to be left to a silent contemplation and appreciation of the merits of the Hampton's chef. 

[Pg 75]

 "Oh, Kitty!" The blue fillet leaned across Hayden. "Bea Habersham was telling us that you had been to see this new fortune‑teller. Is she really as good as Bea says?" 

 "Indeed she is!" cried Kitty, plunging into this new subject with her usual enthusiasm. "She's the most remarkable thing you ever heard of, and the beauty of it is that you don't have to go into any dens and caves to find her—none of the black holes where you tremble for your life and begin to fear that you'll never get out again. And she has the most charming studio." 

 "Bea said it was the dreamiest thing you ever saw and that she herself was a vision. Do you suppose she gets herself up that way really to conceal her identity, or is it to arouse more interest and enthusiasm?" 

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