regarded her with quiet amusement and bored tolerance, while the same
critical posse was amazed and envious at Beth's superb beauty and
stately bearing. After all, it was Louise who captured the woman
contingency and scored the greatest success; for her appearance was not
only dainty and attractive but she was so perfectly self-possessed and
responsive and bore herself so admirably under the somewhat trying;
circumstances of a debut that she won the cordial goodwill of all whom
she encountered. The hostess was elaborately gowned in white pompadour
satin, trimmed with white chiffon and embroidered in pink roses and
pearls. The Von Taer home was handsomely decorated for the occasion,
since Diana never did anything by halves and for her own credit insisted
on attention to those details of display that society recognizes and
loves. Hundreds of long-stemmed American Beauties and Kentia palms were
combined in beautifying the spacious hall, while orchids in marvelous
variety nodded their blossoms in the great drawing-room, where the
young-ladies received. These rare and precious flowers were arranged in
bronze baskets with sprays of maidenhair. In the music room adjoining,
great clusters of Madam Chantenay roses embellished the charming scene.
Branches of cherry-blossoms, supplied by hot-houses, were banked in the
lofty dining-room, where a Japanese pergola made of bamboo and lighted
with red lanterns was erected at the upper end. The attendants here were
Japanese girls in native costume, and the long table was laid with a
lace cloth over pink satin, with butterfly bows of pink tulle. The table
itself was decorated with cut-glass baskets of Cecil Brunner roses
mingled with lilies of the valley and refreshments were distributed to
the standing guests as they entered.

The affair was in the nature of a typical "crush," for Diana's list of
eligibles included most of the prominent society folk then in town, and
she was too important a personage to have her invitations disregarded.