ow do you do, Miss Frances?"

Certainly no one would have suspected these two very graceful and
pleasant-looking girls of being madcap creatures at home. The elder was
a tall and slightly-built blonde, with large gray eyes set wide apart;
the younger a gentle little thing, with brownish eyes, freckles, and a
pretty mouth.

"Mamma?" said the eldest daughter, in answer to his inquires. "Oh, she
is behind, bringing up the rear, as it were. We have to go in
detachment, or else the police would come and read the riot act against
us. Francie and I are the vanguard; and she feels such a good little
girl, marching along two and two, just as if she were back at Brighton."

The clear gray eyes--quite demure--glanced in toward the shadows of the
trees.

"I see you have got Evelyn there, Mr. Brand. Who is the extraordinary
person he is always talking about now--the Maid of Saragossa, or Joan of
Arc, or something like that? Do you know her?"

"I suppose you mean Miss Lind."

"I know he has persuaded mamma to go and call on her, and get her to
dine with us, if she will come. Now, I call that kind."

"If she accepts, you mean?"

"No, I mean nothing of the sort. Good-bye. If we stay another minute, we
shall have the middle detachments overlapping the vanguard. En avant,
Francie! Vorwarts!"

She bowed to him, and passed on in her grave and stately manner: more
calmly observant, demurer eyes were not in the Park.

He ran the gauntlet of the whole family, and at last encountered the
mamma, who brought up the rear with the youngest of her daughters. Lady
Evelyn was a tall, somewhat good-looking, elderly lady, who wore her
silver-white hair in old-fashioned curls. She was an amiable but
strictly matter-of-fact person, who beheld her daughters' mad humors
with surprise as well as alarm. What were they forever laughing at?
Besides, it was indecorous. She had not conducted herself in that manner
when she lived in her father's home.

Lady Evelyn, who was vaguely aware that Brand knew the Linds, repeated
her daughter's information about the proposed visit, and said that if
Miss Lind would come and spend the evening with them, she hoped Mr.
Brand would come too.

"These girls do tease dreadfully, I know," said their mamma; "but
perhaps they will behave a little better before a stranger."

Mr. Brand replied that he hoped Miss Lind would accept the
invitation--for during her father's absence she must be somewhat
dull--but that even