atic society. When she had satisfied the
latter's curiosity she led the conversation by a straight path to the
sufferings of the children of Austria and begged them to join her in
forming a relief committee. They received this philanthropic suggestion
with no apparent fervor, but it served to relieve the stiffness and
tension until they retired to the drawing-room for coffee.

They stood about for a few moments, Mary looking up at the portrait of
Jane Oglethorpe in her flaming youth. But the hostess ordered them all
to sit down and exclaimed peremptorily: "Now, Mary, tell them all about
it or I'll have a lot of fainting hysterical women on my hands. We're
still human if we are old and ugly. Go to it, as Janet would say. I
believe you have met that estimable exponent of the later New York
manner. You are no more extraordinary yourself than some of the changes
here at home, but you're more picturesque, and that's harder to swallow.
Put them out of their misery."

The ladies smiled or frowned, according to what humor the Almighty,
niggardly in his bestowal of humor, had allotted them. At all events
they were used to "Jane." Mrs. Goodrich, who had led Mary to a sofa and
seated herself beside her, took her hand and pressed it affectionately,
as if she were encouraging her on the way to the operating room. "Yes,
tell us the story, darling. It is all too wonderful!"

"Do you really mean that you have never heard of this treatment?" asked
Madame Zattiany, who knew quite well that they had not. "Few things are
better known in Europe."

"We have never heard of it," said Mrs. Vane austerely. "We were totally
unprepared."

Madame Zattiany shrugged her graceful shoulders. "I have been told that
America never takes up anything new in science until it has become stale
in Europe. But women as well as men have been flocking to Vienna.
Russian princesses have pledged their jewels----"

"How romantic!" exclaimed Mrs. Goodrich, who was one of those women in
whom a certain spurious sense of romance increases with age. But Mrs.
Vane mumbled something less complimentary. She had never been romantic
in her life; and she was beginning to feel the strain.

"Well," said Madame Zattiany, "I suppose I must begin at the beginning.
I dislike holding forth, but if you will have it----"

"Don't leave out a word!" exclaimed Mrs. Tracy. "We want every detail.
You've made us feel both as young as yourself and as old as Methuselah