vitality. The girl observed that her employer could not visit any
institution without making a few vigorous suggestions as she went
about, she accompanied her cheques to the organized charities--and her
charity flowed only through absolutely reliable channels--with little
friendly, advisory letters. She liked the democratic attitude for
herself,--even while promptly snubbing any such tendency in children
or friends;--and told Margaret that she only used her coat of arms on
house linen, stationery, and livery, because her husband and mother
liked it. "It's of course rather nice to realize that one comes from
one of the oldest of the Colonial families," she would say. "The
Carterets of Maryland, you know.--But it's all such bosh!"

And she urged Margaret to claim her own right to family honors:
"You're a Quincy, my dear! Don't let that woman intimidate you,--she
didn't remember that her grandfather was a captain until her husband
made his money. And where the family portraits came from I don't know,
but I think there's a man on Fourth Avenue who does 'em!" she would
say, or, "I know all about Lilly Reynolds, Peggy. Her father was as
rich as she says, and I daresay the crest is theirs. But ask her what
her maternal grandmother did for a living, if you want to shut her
up!" Other people she would condemn with a mere whispered "Coal!" or
"Patent bath-tubs!" behind her fan, and it pleased her to tell people
that her treasure of a secretary had the finest blood in the world in
her veins. Margaret was much admired, and Margaret was her discovery,
and she liked to emphasize her find.

Mrs. Carr-Boldt's mother, a tremulous, pompous old lady, unwittingly
aided the impression by taking an immense fancy to Margaret, and by
telling her few intimates and the older women among her daughter's
friends that the girl was a perfect little thoroughbred. When the