knew what they had paid, and knew everything else that they were doing.  At this Opera, for instance, there was a diagram of the boxes printed upon the programme, and a list of all the box-holders, so that anyone could tell who was who.  You might see these great dames in their gorgeous robes coming from their carriages, with crowds staring at them and detectives hovering about.  And the bosom of each would be throbbing with a wild and wonderful vision of the moment when she would enter her box, and the music would be forgotten, and all eyes would be turned upon her; and she would lay aside her wraps, and flash upon the staring throngs, a vision of dazzling splendour.

Some of these jewels were family treasures, well known to New York for generations; and in such cases it was becoming the fashion to leave the real jewels in the safe-deposit vault, and to wear imitation stones exactly like them.  From homes where the jewels were kept, detectives were never absent, and in many cases there were detectives watching the detectives; and yet every once in a while the newspapers would be full of a sensational story of a robbery.  Then the unfortunates who chanced to be suspected would be seized by the police and subjected to what was jocularly termed the “third degree,” and consisted of tortures as elaborate and cruel as any which the Spanish Inquisition had invented.  The advertising value of this kind of thing was found to be so great that famous actresses also had costly jewels, and now and then would have them stolen.

That night, when they had got home, Montague had a talk with his cousin about Charlie Carter.  He discovered a peculiar situation.  It seemed that Alice already knew that Charlie had been “bad.”  He was sick and miserable; and her beauty and innocence had touched him and made him ashamed of himself, and ho had hinted darkly at dreadful evils.  Thus carefully veiled, and tinged with mystery and romance, Montague could understand how Charlie made an interesting and appealing figure.  “He says I’m different from any girl he ever met,” said Alice—­a remark of such striking originality that her cousin could not keep back his smile.

Alice was not the least bit in love with him, and had no idea of being; and she said that she would accept no invitations, and never go alone with him; but she did not see how she could avoid him when she met him at other people’s houses.  And to this Montague had to assent.

General Prentice had inquired kindly as to what Montague had seen in New York, and how he was getting along.  He added that he had talked about him to Judge Ellis, and that when he was ready to get to work, the Judge would perhaps have some suggestions to make to him.  He approved, however, of Montague’s plan of getting his bearings first; and said that he would introduce him and put him up at a couple of the leading clubs.

All this remained in Montague’s mind; but there was no use trying to think of it at the moment.  Thanksgiving was at hand, and in countless country mansions there would be gaieties under way.  Bertie Stuyvesant had planned an excursion to his Adirondack camp, and had invited a score or so of young people, including the Montagues.  This would be a new feature of the city’s life, worth knowing about.