The horrid creature he fancies will be there," she added, surveying her exquisite armful with an admiring, unhappy glance, "and it will be war to the death between us, if it costs him every cent he has." She fell thoughtfully silent, to break out at the end of a minute or two with a remark which had the value of an imparted confidence: "She--I mean the creature--wore one something like it, only not nearly so handsome--last night--and it made her look frightfully gone off--even Perry noticed it." Spreading the gown carefully upon the bed, she went to the mirror and regarded herself with passionate scrutiny.
"Will you wait and see me dress ?" she asked; "Annette has my cold bath ready.

I must have a colour, but I shan't be a minute in the tub." "Do you mean that you are really going out to-night ?" asked Laura, remembering the despairing note of a few hours ago.
Gerty nodded.

"To a dinner and a dance.

Do you think that I will play the neglected wife ?" A glow had sprung to her eyes that was like the animation with which an intrepid hunter might depart upon a desperate chase--and through all her elaborate toilette--the massaging of her face, the arranging of her hair, the perfuming of her beautiful neck and arms--she chatted gayly in the same flippant yet nervous voice.

When at last the maid had withdrawn again, Gerty, pausing before Laura in a shimmer of silver gauze that reminded one of a faintly scented moonlight, bent over and touched her cheek with feverish lips.
"It is war to the knife," she laughed; and the peculiar radiance of colour, which gave her beauty a character that was almost violent, made her at the moment appear triumphant, exultant, barbaric.