iled at her favorite pupils from the shadow of the screen!
How she nodded her head and beat time with her fingers to the songs they
sang! How, in moments of uncontrollable excitement, she waved her hands
and swayed her body and gesticulated with her fan! It was a comedy in
dumb show. And, as each girl-singer, after performing her part and
curtseying to the audience, passed her teacher on the way to the
artists' room, Madame seized her impulsively by both hands, and drew her
down to impress a kiss of satisfaction on the performer's forehead. The
woman's old charm as an actress, the Southern grace and excitability and
warmth, were never more evident than when reflected in Madame's
movements behind the screen that afternoon, and visible to the
audience--did she know it after all?--only in a looking-glass.

The humor of the situation impressed Hubert, and made him glad that he
had come. The whole scene had something foreign, something half
theatrical about it. An English teacher of music would have effaced
herself--would have shaken with nervousness and scowled at her pupils.
Madame had no idea of effacing herself at all. She was benignity,
composure, affability incarnate. The girls were all her "dear angels,"
who were helping to make her concert a success. When, at a preconcerted
signal in the middle of the afternoon, she was led forward by one of her
most distinguished pupils, and presented by a group of adoring girls
with a great basket of flowers, her whole face beamed with satisfaction,
her medals and orders and brooches twinkled responsively as she
curtseyed, waved her fan, spread out her lace and silken draperies, and
slipped gracefully back into the screen's obscurity once more. Only one
little _contretemps_ occurred to mar the harmony of the scene. Just as
Madame had returned to her seat, the screen, displaced a little by her
movement, fell over, dragging down flower-pots and ferns, and almost
upsetting Madame herself. The bevy of girls rushed to pick her up,
gentlemen and attendants came to the rescue, and in a few moments Madame
was reinstated, a little shaken and flustered, but amiable as ever, the
screen was replaced more securely, and the concert proceeded with
decorum.

But where all this time was Cynthia? She had not joined the cluster of
girls who presented the flowers to Madame, or run to pick her up when
the screen fell down. Madame was reserving Cynthia for a great effect.
She did not appear until nearl