her, sighing to one another:

"Oh! how handsome he is--how elegant! and what a lordly manner he has!
But, best of all, he lets his wife do just as she pleases."

But the older and wiser ones shook their heads sagaciously, declaring
they scented danger afar off.

Little did they dream that the terrible calamity was nearer than they
had anticipated.

CHAPTER XXXV.

Although, outwardly, young Mrs. Gardiner and her handsome husband lived
ideal lives, yet could one have taken a peep behind the scenes, they
would have seen that all was not gold that glittered.

In their own apartments, out of sight of the world's sharp eyes, Jay
Gardiner and his wife used each other with the scantest possible
courtesy. He never descended to the vulgarity of having words with her,
though she did her utmost to provoke him to quarrel, saying to herself
that anything was better than that dead calm, that haughty way he had of
completely ignoring her in his elegant apartments.

During what every one believed to be the most blissful of honey-moons,
Sally learned to hate her proud husband with a deadly hatred.

On the evening Mr. Victor Lamont made his appearance at the Ocean House,
there was to be a grand ball given in honor of the guests, and, as every
one had hoped, Mr. Lamont strolled in during the course of the evening,
accompanied by mine host, who was over head and ears with delight in
having such an honored guest stopping at his hotel.

Scores of girlish eyes brightened as they entered the arched door-way,
and scores of hearts beat expectantly under pretty lace bodices. But
their disappointment was great when this handsome Apollo glanced them
all over critically, but did not ask any of them out to dance, and all
the best waltzes were being then played.

Victor Lamont seemed quite indifferent to their shy glances.

During this time he was keeping up quite an animated conversation with
his host, who was telling him, with pride, that _this_ pretty girl was
Miss This, and that pretty girl Miss So-and-So. But Victor Lamont would
sooner have known who their fathers were.

At length, as his eyes traveled about the great ball-room with
business-like carefulness, his gaze fell upon a slender figure in rose
pink and fairly covered with diamonds. They blazed like ropes of fire
about the white throat and on the slender arms; they twinkled like
immense stars from the shell-like ears and coyly draped bosom, and rose
in a great tiara o