ssed, after an old Venetian picture, in dull red brocade,
point-lace, and gold ornaments. He had given her the ornaments
himself--golden serpents with ruby eyes--which she had admired in a
jeweller's window. But for the rest of her dress she was in no wise
indebted to him; she had been making money lately, and could afford
herself a pretty gown.

She received him, he thought, a little coolly--perhaps only because
Madame della Scala was sitting by--gave him the tips of her fingers, and
declared that she must go almost immediately. It turned out that he was
bound for the same place; and Madame at once asked him to escort them
thither--the carriage would be at the door at half-past nine o'clock.

"I shall be only too happy," said Mr. Lepel, "if you will allow me such
an honor. And, in the meantime, it is not yet nine o'clock, Cynthia; so,
in spite of your impatience, you cannot start quite 'immediately.' What
is there so attractive at the Gores' this evening that you wish to set
off so early?"

"Oh, nothing--I did not know the time!" said Cynthia.

She did not reply jestingly, after her usual fashion; she sat down
languidly, and spread her heavy skirts around her so as to make a sort
of silken barrier between herself and Hubert. He bit his lip a little as
he looked at her.

"Our little bird is not quite herself," said Madame, with a side grimace
at Hubert which she did not want Cynthia to see. "She has what our
neighbors call '_la migraine_,' monsieur. She has never been well since
the return of her old uncle from America, whose fortune--if he has a
fortune--does not seem likely to do any of us any good--her least of
all."

Cynthia lowered her head a little and darted a sudden and fierce glance
at her teacher and chaperon--a glance of which Hubert guessed the
meaning. She had never mentioned this "uncle from America" to him;
probably she had told Madame not to do so either, and the little Italian
lady had broken her compact.

Madame della Scala laughed and spread out her hands deprecatingly.

"_Che, che_--what is it I have done to make you look so fierce at me? I
will leave her to you, Mr. Lepel, and trust you to make her tractable
before we reach the house where we are to sing. For the last few days I
have not known how to content _la signorina_ at all; she has twice
refused to sing when refusal meant--well, two things--loss of money and
offence of friends. Those are two things which I do not like at all."

So