, Adele was busy
picturing to herself the dreadful Miss Euston. Her father had said
that she was a nice lady; but, alas, how could she? Did she not
speak in English? How was she going to answer her? "She will
certainly laugh at my bad English," Adele thought; and her lips
moved about uneasily, and her eyes were moist.

She looked towards Mdlle. Parmier. She saw four or five ladies in a
confused group; she wiped away the tears that obscured her vision.

"Ah! if this lady were head mistress?" she went on thinking. "Oh! my
clothes, they are not so pretty as those which the little girls who
were in the playground wore." She listened tremblingly for the
sounds of approaching footsteps. How she wished that the ordeal of
the first interview would be passed. She grew so excited that she
would have given anything to be out of that room. Any sudden
catastrophe which would have averted the terrible ordeal of
confronting Miss Euston would have been welcomed by her. Had she
been alone, she would have tried her voice to see how it sounded in
English, but Mdlle. Parmier was there; so she only coughed a little
to clear her throat. She tried to cough softly, as she had heard
Mdlle. Parmier do; but she fancied her voice sounded hoarse and
vulgar. She cast a gaze towards a mirror placed at one end of the
room. What a plebeian figure!

Hark! what was that? a soft tread was heard approaching. The French
lady looked up from her book, and fixing her eyes encouragingly on
the little girl, she said: "_Miss Euston sera bien aise de vous
voir; parlez-vous l'anglais?_"

"_Un peu, mademoiselle_," said Adele, and the door opened.

The dreaded form of Miss Euston entered the room.

"Dis is de yong Ma'm'sel Rougeant," said the French lady,
introducing Adele to the newly-arrived lady.

The latter, a tall, refined and amiable lady, advanced towards Adele
with a pleasant air, and such a kind smile lighting up her
intelligent features that the little girl felt immediately drawn
towards her.

Miss Euston at once saw that Adele was timid and feeling very
uncomfortable.

She took the child's hand in her own and said kindly: "I am very
glad you have come, Adele; but, your hands are quite cold; come
nearer to the fire."

Adele stood up. Miss Euston put the chair nearer to the fire, placed
the child upon it, and began to chat in quite a friendly way.

Mdlle. Parmier retired. Adele's fears had vanished like a cloud of
smoke. She felt more than si