wn," and does it speedily. Cecil is sitting
on her papa's knee, and he is very content until he finds presently
that Violet has lapsed into silence. Laura has the talk with both
gentlemen, and is bringing them together in the clever way known to a
society woman. Then they are summoned to dinner. Arthur takes Violet;
the professor, Laura; and here Gertrude makes a sort of diversion and
has the sympathy of both gentlemen.

The evening is very pleasant. Grandon will not have his shy Violet
quite ignored, and yet he feels that she is not able to make much
headway against the assumptions of society. He realizes that his place
will be considerably in the world of letters, and that has come to be a
world of fashion. Wealth and culture are being bridged over by so many
things, artistic, aesthetic, and in a certain degree intellectual, one
has to hold fast to one's footing not to be swept over. If there was
some one to train Violet a little! He cannot understand why the family
will not take to her cordially.

Laura is thinking of this handsome house and the really superior man
at its head, for she has to admit that Floyd has dignity, ability,
character, and if he is coming out as a genius he will be quite the
style. There is one woman who could do the honors perfectly,--madame,--and
she feels as if she could almost wring the life out of the small
nonentity who has usurped her place, for of course Floyd would soon
have cared for madame if she had not come between.

"It was brought about by a silly romance," she tells madame afterward.
"The child had run away from her nurse and was scrambling down some
rocks when she caught her, it seems, and Floyd, coming up just that
moment, insisted she had saved Cecil's life. Very dramatic, wasn't it?
And Cecil is quite idiotic over her. I think she would make an
excellent nursery governess. She is just out of a convent, and has no
manners, really, but is passable as to looks. Mamma insists that her
hair is red, but it is just the color the Ascotts rave over. Mrs.
Ascott would be wild to paint her, so I am glad they will be off to
Paris without seeing her. She is in deep mourning and can't go into
society. I shall make Floyd understand that. But to think of her having
that splendid place in her hands!"

To do Madame Lepelletier justice, she thinks more of the master than of
the place, and hates Violet without seeing her, because she has won
Cecil's love.

In the morning Mr. and Mrs. Dela