ting
pearls before swine."

Evadne's eyes flashed and her lips pressed themselves tightly together,
but Mrs. Hildreth's gaze was fixed intently upon the lace shawl she was
knitting and Louis just then gave a sudden turn to the conversation.

She went up to her room with a great homesickness surging at her heart.
Only last night all had been lightsome and happy, now the old darkness
seemed to have settled down about her again. She knelt before her window
and looked at the strip of sky which was all a Marlborough residence
allowed her. "Happy stars!" she murmured, "for you are shining on Aunt
Marthe!"

Far into the night she knelt there, until a great peace flooded her
soul. She raised her hands towards the sparkling sky. "To make the world
brighter, to make the world better, to lift the world nearer to God.
Blessed Christ, that was thy mission. I will make it mine!"

The next morning Louis drew her aside. "So, little coz, you did not
coincide with the lady mother's eulogium of our respected collateral
last night?"

"Why, I said nothing!" cried Evadne in astonishment.

Louis laughed. "Have you never heard of eyes that speak and faces that
tell tales?" he said. "I will just whisper a word of warning before you
play havoc with your web of destiny. Don't let a suspicion of your
dislike cross the lady mother's mind, for Uncle Horace is her beau-ideal
of a man. I agree with you. I think he is a cad."

CHAPTER XVI.

"An invitation to Professor Joliette's," and Isabelle tossed a
gilt-edged card across the table to Marion; "Wednesday evening. It's not
a very long invitation. What dress will you wear?"

"But you are engaged, Marion," said Evadne; "Wednesday evening, you
know."

"Yes," said Marion with a sigh, "it is awkward. I do wish they would
choose some other night for prayer meeting. Wednesday seems such a
favorite with everybody."

"What a little prig you are getting to be, Evadne!" said Isabelle with a
sneer. "Your only diversion seems to be prayer meeting and church. You
are as bad as Aunt Marthe."

"Aunt Marthe a prig! Oh, that is too funny!" and Evadne gave one of her
low, sweet laughs. "Besides, does keeping one's engagements constitute a
prig, Isabelle? You wouldn't think so if you were invited to the
President's reception."

"The President's reception! What does get into the child! I don't see
much analogy between the two cases. No one considers prayer meeting a
binding engagement, and I'm sure