te alike," returns Miss Murray,
with cheerful good-nature. "And we met several people at Newport who
knew Mr. Grandon. Isn't there a learned German who married some
one----"

"Professor Freilgrath, whose wife is Mr. Grandon's sister."

"Are you literary, too?" and Miss Murray's childlike eyes accent the
question with a perceptible negative hope.

"Oh, no!" and Violet smiles with admirable expression.

"Well, I am glad," returns the young girl, rather hesitatingly. "I am
not much used to them, you see, and I like nice jolly times better. I
do almost everything in the way of amusement. Do you play lawn tennis?"

"I do not quite understand it, and blunder dreadfully," admits Violet.

"Oh, I adore it!"

"Then Mr. Grandon's brother will be able to entertain you. He is an
excellent player."

"The one they call Eugene?"

"Yes, there is but one."

"Papa and Mr. Grandon talked about him. How old is he?"

"Past twenty-three," answers Violet, "and very handsome."

"Dark or light?"

"Dark, brilliant, with a splendid figure and perfect health."

"I adore dark men," says Miss Murray. "And does he dance?"

"He is an elegant dancer. We are all to go to a German to-morrow
evening. Eugene is away now, but will return in the morning."

Miss Murray confesses that she "adores" Germans and rowing and riding.
She has a magnificent horse at home. She is not going to school any
more, but may consider herself regularly in society.

After all these confidences Violet leaves her to make any change in her
attire that she deems desirable, and Miss Murray comes down in a blue
silk that is wonderfully becoming. It makes her complexion more
infantile, her hair more golden, and her eyes larger. She has a soft,
languishing aspect, and really interests Violet, who does not feel so
utterly lacking in wisdom as she did with Miss Dayre, for Miss Murray
makes girlish little speeches and "adores" generally.

There is an elegant luncheon of fruit and delicacies, and Mrs. Grandon
_mere_ presides. Afterward the gentlemen betake themselves to the tower
and smoke; Violet and her guest divide between the shady end of the
drawing-room and the porch, with its beautiful prospect. When the
midday heat begins to abate they have their drive and some trotting on
the boulevard. Miss Murray grows quite confidential, not in a weak or
silly manner, but with the frank _insouciance_ of youth. She seems so
generally bent upon having a good time and being lik