and interesting, and at first Undine envied Mabel
Lipscomb for having made herself a place in such circles; but in time
she began to despise her for being content to remain there. For it did
not take Undine long to learn that introduction to Mabel's "set" had
brought her no nearer to Fifth Avenue. Even in Apex, Undine's tender
imagination had been nurtured on the feats and gestures of Fifth
Avenue. She knew all of New York's golden aristocracy by name, and the
lineaments of its most distinguished scions had been made familiar by
passionate poring over the daily press. In Mabel's world she sought
in vain for the originals, and only now and then caught a tantalizing
glimpse of one of their familiars: as when Claud Walsingham Popple,
engaged on the portrait of a lady whom the Lipscombs described as "the
wife of a Steel Magnet," felt it his duty to attend one of his client's
teas, where it became Mabel's privilege to make his acquaintance and to
name to him her friend Miss Spragg.

Unsuspected social gradations were thus revealed to the attentive
Undine, but she was beginning to think that her sad proficiency had been
acquired in vain when her hopes were revived by the appearance of Mr.
Popple and his friend at the Stentorian dance. She thought she had
learned enough to be safe from any risk of repeating the hideous
Aaronson mistake; yet she now saw she had blundered again in
distinguishing Claud Walsingham Popple while she almost snubbed his more
retiring companion. It was all very puzzling, and her perplexity had
been farther increased by Mrs. Heeny's tale of the great Mrs. Harmon B.
Driscoll's despair.

Hitherto Undine had imagined that the Driscoll and Van Degen clans and
their allies held undisputed suzerainty over New York society. Mabel
Lipscomb thought so too, and was given to bragging of her acquaintance
with a Mrs. Spoff, who was merely a second cousin of Mrs. Harmon B.
Driscoll's. Yet here was she. Undine Spragg of Apex, about to be
introduced into an inner circle to which Driscolls and Van Degens had
laid siege in vain! It was enough to make her feel a little dizzy with
her triumph--to work her up into that state of perilous self-confidence
in which all her worst follies had been committed.

She stood up and, going close to the glass, examined the reflection
of her bright eyes and glowing cheeks. This time her fears were
superfluous: there were to be no more mistakes and no more follies now!
She was going to