Of course the brilliant idea of foisting her precious daughter upon the
"select" society of the metropolis was original with Mrs. Merrick.
Louise was well content with things as they were; but not so the
mother. The rise from poverty to affluence, the removal of all cares and
burdens from her mind, had merely fostered still greater ambitions.
Uncle John's generosity had endowed each of his three nieces with an
ample fortune. "I want 'em to enjoy the good things of life while
they're at an age to enjoy 'em," he said; "for the older one gets the
fewer things are found to be enjoyable. That's my experience, anyhow."
He also told the girls frankly that they were to inherit
jointly--although not equally--his entire fortune. Yet even this glowing
prospect did not satisfy Mrs. Merrick. Since all her plans for Louise,
from the very beginning, had been founded on personal selfishness, she
now proposed to have her daughter gain admission to recognized
fashionable society in order that she might herself bask in the
reflection of the glory so obtained and take her place with the proud
matrons who formed the keystone of such society. After carefully
considering ways and means to gain her object she had finally conceived
the idea of utilizing Mr. Merrick. She well knew Uncle John would not
consider one niece to the exclusion of the others, and had therefore
used his influence to get all three girls properly "introduced."
Therefore her delight and excitement were intense when the butler
brought up Diana's card and she realized that "the perfectly swell Miss
Von Taer" was seated in her reception room. She rushed to Louise, who,
wholly innocent of any knowledge of the intrigue which had led to this
climax, opened her blue eyes in astonishment and said with a gasp:

"Oh, mother! what shall I do?"

"Do? Why, go down and make yourself agreeable, of course. It's your