IV


Dr. Talbot had confided to Mrs. McLane that his wife was inclined to
be a bas bleu and he wanted her broken of an unfeminine love of
books. Mrs. McLane, who knew that a reputation for bookishness would
be fatal in a community that regarded "Lucile" as a great poem and
read little but the few novels that drifted their way (or the
continued stories in Godey's Lady's Book), promised him that
Madeleine's intellectual aspirations should be submerged in the
social gaieties of the season.

She kept her word. Dinners, receptions, luncheons, theatre parties,
in honor of the bride, followed in rapid succession, and when all had
entertained her, the less personal invitations followed as rapidly.
Her popularity was not founded on novelty.

No girl in her first season had ever enjoyed herself more naively
and she brought to every entertainment eager sparkling eyes and
dancing feet that never tired. She became the "reigning toast." At
parties she was surrounded by a bevy of admirers or forced to divide
her dances; for it was soon patent there was no jealousy in Talbot's
composition and that he took an equally naive pride in his wife's
success. When alone with women she was quite as animated and
interested, and, moreover, invited them to copy her gowns. Some had
been made in Paris, others in New York. The local dressmakers felt
the stirrings of ambition, and the shops sent for a more varied
assortment of fabrics.

Madeleine Talbot at this time was very happy, or, at least, too busy