The young wife was a very charming, radiant vision, as she rested there motionless. She was gowned for the street, wearing that ravishing hat which had been the cause of McMahon's undoing, a dainty and rather elaborate device in black and red, and a black cloth gown, short and closely cut, which showed to delightful advantage the lissome curves of her form. Beneath, a luxurious _chaussure_ in black showed the inimitable grace of tiny feet and ankles. Now, as she regarded the company in some astonishment, the perfect oval of her cheeks was broken by the play of dimples as she smiled a general welcome on the men before her. But her attention was particularly arrested by Schmidt, who, after his first greeting in words, was now bowing stiffly from the hips, a feat of some difficulty by reason of his girth. Cicily watched the formal performance with mingled emotions of amusement and alarm. When, at last, it was successfully accomplished, however, and the pudgy figure straightened, she recognized the socialist, and came forward. "Why, it's Mr. Schmidt!" she exclaimed, cordially. "I'm so glad to see you!" To this, the German murmured a guttural response, too much overcome by pleasure for coherent speech. The new-comer passed on, and made her greetings to Ferguson and McMahon with the like pleasant hospitality, shaking hands with each. "This is, indeed, charming," she exclaimed heartily. "Did you bring your wives along?" Schmidt, as usual, constituted himself the spokesman. "Mrs. Hamilton," he stated, with somber impressiveness, "this is business." "Good gracious!" Mrs. Hamilton exclaimed, with some trepidation. "I hope it's nothing that they would not approve of." "Be easy," Ferguson, admonished, soothingly. "Sure, it's only that we're talking business. It's a matter of wages. The woman folk always approve of them." Schmidt rolled his eyes heavenward in despair. "But, when we tell them of the ten per cent. cut! _Ach, Himmel!_" Cicily turned a startled glance on her husband. "A ten per cent. cut!" she exclaimed, involuntarily. "Why, Charles!" Hamilton was annoyed by this unexpected irruption of the feminine into the most serious of business discussions--the intrusion of the female on the financial. He spoke with distinct note of disapproval in his voice: "Now, Cicily, you know nothing of this." Delancy, too, added the weight of his accustomed authority. "Don't bother with things that do not concern you, Cicily." There was a patronizing quality in the admonition that irritated the wife. Ferguson spoke to the same effect, but with a radically different motive underlying his words: