rise, with averted eye and deeply blushing
cheek, fighting desperately with the confusion she feared to let
Angelique detect. But that keen-sighted girl saw too clearly--she had
caught her fast as a bird is caught by the fowler.

"Yes, I met with a double defeat last night," continued Angelique.

"Indeed! pray, from whom?" Amelie's curiosity, though not usually a
troublesome quality, was by this time fairly roused.

Angelique saw her drift, and played with her anxiety for a few moments.

"My first rebuff was from that gentlemanly philosopher from Sweden, a
great friend of the Governor, you know. But, alas, I might as well have
tried to fascinate an iceberg! I do not believe that he knew, after a
half-hour's conversation with me, whether I was man or woman. That was
defeat number one."

"And what was number two?" Amelie was now thoroughly interested in
Angelique's gossip.

"I left the dry, unappreciative philosopher, and devoted myself to charm
the handsome Colonel Philibert. He was all wit and courtesy, but my
failure was even more signal with him than with the cold Swede."

Amelie's eyes gave a sparkle of joy, which did not escape Angelique,
but she pretended not to see it. "How was that? Tell me, pray, how you
failed with Colonel Philibert?"

"My cause of failure would not be a lesson for you, Amelie. Listen! I
got a speedy introduction to Colonel Philibert, who, I confess, is one
of the handsomest men I ever saw. I was bent on attracting him."

"For shame, Angelique! How could you confess to aught so unwomanly!"
There was a warmth in Amelie's tone that was less noticed by herself
than by her companion.

"Well, it is my way of conquering the King's army. I shot my whole
quiver of arrows at Colonel Philibert, but, to my chagrin, hit not a
vital part! He parried every one, and returned them broken at my feet.
His persistent questioning about yourself, as soon as he discovered we
had been school companions at the Convent, quite foiled me. He was full
of interest about you, and all that concerned you, but cared not a fig
about me!"

"What could Colonel Philibert have to ask you about me?" Amelie
unconsciously drew closer to her companion, and even clasped her arm by
an involuntary movement which did not escape her friend.

"Why, he asked everything a gentleman could, with proper respect, ask
about a lady."

"And what did you say?"

"Oh, not half enough to content him. I confess I felt piqued that he
only