t let us also walk in the Spirit, and let us not
be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, and envying one
another;" "and favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that
feareth the Lord shall be praised."

But to speak of Caliste. Whilst her sister thus called upon others to
compliment the idol of the day, she stood aloof, her speaking countenance
and flashing eye betokening her resentment. It was useless for Victorine
to try, by whispered words of affection, to soothe her; Caliste smiled
fearfully as she returned her answer in low words, "Never, never," she
said, "can the sting in my bosom be removed. Let the poison work,
Victorine, it is not your hand that has placed the venom there."

Sorrowing at her disappointment, Victorine would have led her from the
room, but she refused to accompany her. "No, I will stay," she said, "I
will hear every reason why I am rejected, and my younger sister exalted
over my head."

Mimi heard these words; and the excited child, irritated at the sister
whom she least loved gaining the crown, turned towards Lisette and
passionately addressed her--"Lisette!" she exclaimed, "I wish you would
now forget you are Rosiere, surely we have had enough about it. Let us
talk of something else, or, if you wish to go on, pray tell neighbour
Elise that Monsieur le Prieur himself said that Victorine would be the
chosen of all if she would attend mass with us; did he not, mother?"
inquired the child; "and did he not come here and talk for an hour to
Victorine, two months ago? and did he not promise her, if she would
attend mass, she should be the Rosiere this year, and that she should
publicly become a member of our congregation on the same day? So, after
all, Lisette," she added, "if Victorine had pleased, she would now be the
Rosiere."

"You do not know what you are saying, child!" exclaimed Lisette, for a
moment assuming the angry countenance of Caliste. "You have not got a
correct account of what happened, Mam'selle Mimi."

"Yes, but I have," she answered; "though I know you don't like to hear of
it, Lisette. Uncle Dorsain," she added, addressing him, "you might have
had all three of your nieces chosen by the Salenciens instead of Felicie
Durand."

Whilst Mimi had been speaking, Victorine had left the apartment to make
preparations for their dinner, or else she would probably have tried to
stop her little sister; as it was, the child, who feared no one else, and
who o