oic, all things and all men. Landry Court was a young chevalier,
pure as Galahad. Corthell was a beautiful artist-priest of the early
Renaissance. Even Jadwin was a merchant prince, a great financial
captain. And she herself--ah, she did not know; she dreamed of another
Laura, a better, gentler, more beautiful Laura, whom everybody,
everybody loved dearly and tenderly, and who loved everybody, and who
should die beautifully, gently, in some garden far away--die because of
a great love--beautifully, gently in the midst of flowers, die of a
broken heart, and all the world should be sorry for her, and would weep
over her when they found her dead and beautiful in her garden, amid the
flowers and the birds, in some far-off place, where it was always early
morning and where there was soft music. And she was so sorry for
herself, and so hurt with the sheer strength of her longing to be good
and true, and noble and womanly, that as she sat in the front of the
Cresslers' box on that marvellous evening, the tears ran down her
cheeks again and again, and dropped upon her tight-shut, white-gloved
fingers.

But the contralto had disappeared, and in her place the tenor held the
stage--a stout, short young man in red plush doublet and grey silk
tights. His chin advanced, an arm extended, one hand pressed to his
breast, he apostrophised the pavilion, that now and then swayed a
little in the draught from the wings.

The aria was received with furor; thrice he was obliged to repeat it.
Even Corthell, who was critical to extremes, approved, nodding his
head. Laura and Page clapped their hands till the very last. But Landry
Court, to create an impression, assumed a certain disaffection.

"He's not in voice to-night. Too bad. You should have heard him Friday
in 'Aida.'"

The opera continued. The great soprano, the prima donna, appeared and
delivered herself of a song for which she was famous with astonishing
eclat. Then in a little while the stage grew dark, the orchestration
lapsed to a murmur, and the tenor and the soprano reentered. He clasped
her in his arms and sang a half-dozen bars, then holding her hand, one
arm still about her waist, withdrew from her gradually, till she
occupied the front-centre of the stage. He assumed an attitude of
adoration and wonderment, his eyes uplifted as if entranced, and she,
very softly, to the accompaniment of the sustained, dreamy chords of
the orchestra, began her solo.

Laura shut her eyes. N