clear-cut as a
cameo. Her features were regular, and her bright black eyes flashed under
her high intellectual forehead with a brilliancy a girl of sixteen might
have envied. Her hair was snowy white, and rolled back _a la pompadour_.

To-night she was dressed in a gown of heliotrope satin, trimmed with
white point lace, and here and there in her hair and gown she wore pins
made of the Severn diamonds. Round her neck glistened a magnificent
necklace of these gems, which were of world-wide fame, having been given
to Lord Severn by an Indian rajah as a recompense for saving him from
drowning.

Lady Severn had been talking about her celebrated guest, who was not at
dinner this evening.

"I am sorry you have not met Mademoiselle Laurentia; unfortunately she
has been suffering for the last two days with a very severe nervous
headache, and to-night did not feel inclined to come to dinner. However,
I hope later on she will be better, and able to sing for you. Before
dinner she went out into the garden, thinking the cool air would do her
head good."

"Yes, I am very anxious to meet her," replied Lady Margaret, "and Noel
is, for him, quite excited about her, coming as she does from Canada."

"Yes, she comes from Canada, and she has quite a romantic history.
Perhaps she will tell you about that herself some day. She has only been
with us a week, but already we are very fond of her, she is such a
winning little creature, and her French Canadian songs are charming."

"Oh! Noel will be delighted," said Lady Margaret; "he waxes enthusiastic
on the subject of French Canadian boat-songs. Do you think Mademoiselle
Laurentia would spend a week with us at the Glen?"

"No, I'm afraid not; she is engaged to sing at Her Majesty's next week,
and goes from here to London. You may have better luck in the autumn,
though, when her London engagement is over."

"I'm sorry she can't come now, for we should have been delighted to have
her at the Glen."

"Elsie dear," said Lady Severn to her daughter, a tall, fair girl of
nineteen, who was endeavoring to amuse The McAllister, a difficult
task--"Elsie dear, what part of Canada does Mademoiselle Laurentia come
from?"

"Oh! somewhere on the banks of the St. Lawrence--some unpronounceable
name."

"Delightfully vague," said Noel McAllister. "The ideas you English people
have about our country are refreshing. One young lady, whom I supposed to
have been fairly well educated, asked me, in the m