felt a languid curiosity over Mme. Lorraine's charge, the daring girl whose whole yo

ng for madame's ripe, dusky beauty. She was alone, looking magnificent in ruby velvet with cream

eally come," she said, archly. "Sit here bes

epted it with an odd sensation of disappointment, despite her luring beauty and the sensuous comfort a

t, disapp

see her Lit

things to him, fluttering her fan coquettishly, and laughing at his careless repartee. Not

ond, and Markham. They laughed

are come to lay our hearts at her feet. Know that she has supplanted you in t

her hand, and all eyes turned to the door. Five, almost ten, minutes passed, then it was so

s on the strange young face, for madame to speak some words of introduction, but none came. Just as any other servant might have entered, so was this girl permitted t

t to observe the tall, fair man by her side. She started and fixed her big, solemn, dark eyes

d rounded limbs. Madame had evidently aimed more at picturesqueness than propriety in choosing her dress, and she had certainly attained her point. Anything more full of unstudied grace and unconscious beauty than the little serving-maid it would be hard to imagine. The contrast of tawny golden hair with dark eyes and slender, jetty brows, with features molde

ght and laughing, a fair mustache ornamenting lips at once firm and sweet, a chin that was grave and full of power in spite of the womanish dimple that cleft it-altogether a mo

! You are madame's hands

, and with his mo

service," he said. "Yes,

o her eyes, as she answered curtly, a

I have always been too poor to have

he Jockey Club exchanged glances. Eliot took an orange mechani

s looked over the top of her

ly down into a chair, with her hands crossed and her tiny slippers dang

" at length queried Carmo

turned on his f

e ugly old Jockey Club!"

you ever since you were a baby, ma'amselle, and you throw us over in a bunch for the sak

rust him,

words be lo

that kneels

ading at t

rl looked at him with large eyes of

ious voice as yours, I

the words, and the sulky cou

is artistic taste charmed by its bright, wa

by her dower of high-bred, faultless beauty?" he th

Arab arch

at, light and br

sits on her

it not. Oh,

eauty might h

ds and compressed lips. At last, tapping his arm with h

same as the brute creation. I have tried to educate her into a companion, but in vain; so she can never be more than a pretty toy to me-

aw the dark eyes lighten as the men began to praise her dauntless riding that day. They were ver

ut seeing Eliot Van Zandt's gesture of disgust. He refused point-

ucky at play; so I will amuse my

ame over and took it, not with any appearance of forwardness, but as a simple

kees, you know. My father was a Confederate soldier, madame says. He

a dark frown, but Van Zandt prete

d, ma'amselle, because I was born in Boston, and beca

Markham, to whom the conversation was perfectly audible from h

o keep, ma'amselle, by reason of your pretty f

talking to you, and it's ill manners to brea

er, and held it lightly between her taper fingers

' It has a nice sound. But

has broached the subject, that the poets have said that friendship is love in disguise,

e. Lorraine looked around with

u bewilder my little sa

shed instantly into the puzzled

e, you will find ple

satin portière, where they found plenty of books ind

dust as he drew it down from the spot where it had rested undisturbed for years. He sn

, spreading the big book o