Under ordinary circumstances she would have remained quietly in bed, sent word to her husband that she was ill, and asked him to excuse her from breakfast. But she knew how desirous he was that she should please his mother and sister, and win their approval, and she resolved to conquer her ill-feelings, and go down to greet them with all the cordiality and hospitality that the most exacting could expect. She dressed herself, with great care, in a beautiful morning robe of pale pink cashmere, and looked every inch a lady as she went down, to brave again the critical judgment of her proud mother-in-law and her equally proud daughter. Dr. Winthrop heard her light step upon the stairs, and came from the library, where he had been waiting to meet her. His eyes lighted with love and pride as he caught sight of her; she was very lovely, and he wondered how any one could feel aught but pleasure in her presence. “How beautiful you are this morning, my Peace! Did you sleep well, and are you feeling quite well?” he inquired, as he folded his arm about her, and looked fondly into her eyes. “Yes, I slept very soundly,” Salome answered—too soundly, she might have told him, and that was, doubtless, one cause of her headache; for she had been wearied out with the unusual exertion and excitement of the previous evening. But she tried to smile brightly, for she did not wish him to be troubled upon her account, and then, hearing Madame Winthrop’s door open in the hall above, he drew her quietly within the library, and nothing more was said about her feelings for which she was thankful. Madame made her appearance a moment later, with even more stateliness in her manner than there had been the previous evening, her keen eyes taking in with one sweeping glance the dainty loveliness of her son’s wife, and noting that her beauty was no less striking by daylight than it had been by gaslight. Salome went forward and greeted her with a cordial “good-morning,” inquiring if she had rested well, and found everything comfortable in her room. Madam responded courteously, as any well-bred lady would have done to a stranger, in whose home she had been entertained, for surely she was not going to be outdone in politeness by one whom she affected to despise on account of inferior birth and breeding. Evelyn soon followed her mother, and her envy was instantly aroused as she realized how exceedingly beautiful Salome was. She had always been accounted very handsome, but she saw that she was far less attractive than her brother’s wife, and a feeling of bitterness and ill-will sprang up in her heart on account of it. She saluted Salome with decided coolness, and then, ignoring her presence altogether, began talking with her brother about some of their New York friends.