canon came in glowing hot. "_Pouf!_" and he wiped
his rubicund, round visage with a handkerchief as brilliant. Coming
straight from the glare out of doors, he was not aware of the stranger
in the _salon_ till his eyes were used to the gloom. Then madame and
Bessie effected Harry's introduction, and as Harry, with a rare wisdom,
had practised colloquial French, he and the canon were soon acquainted.
Once only had the old man visited England, a visit for ever memorable on
account of the guinea he had paid for his first dinner in London.

"Certainly, they took you for an archbishop or for a monsigneur," said
Harry, when the old story of this cruel extortion was recited to him.
The canon was pleased. This explanation gave a color of flattery to his
infamous wrong. And madame thought her brother had quite _l'air noble_.

Babette summoned them to _dejeuner_. Harry stayed gladly at a hint of
invitation. Across the table the two young people had a full view of
each other, and satisfied their eyes with gazing. Bessie looked lovely
in her innocent delight, and Harry had now a maturer appreciation of
her loveliness. He himself had more of the student aspect, and an air of
lassitude, which he ascribed, as he had been instructed, to overstrain
in reading for the recent examinations. This was why he had come
abroad--the surest way of taking mental rest and refreshment.
Incidentally he mentioned that he had given up boating and athletic
exercises, under Mr. Carnegie's direction. Bessie only smiled, and
reflected that it was odd to hear of Harry Musgrave taking care of
himself. One visitor from England on a day would have been enough, but
by a curious coincidence, as they sat all at ease, through the open
window from the court there sounded another English voice, demanding
Madame Fournier and Miss Fairfax.

"Who can it be?" said Bessie, and she craned her fair neck to look,
while a rosy red suffused her face from chin to brow.

The canon and madame laid down their knives and forks to listen, and
involuntarily everybody's eyes turned upon Harry. He could not forbear a
smile and a glance of intelligence at Bessie; for he had an instant
suspicion that this new-comer was an emissary from Mr. Fairfax, and from
her agitation so had she. Launcelot held a short, prompt parley at the
gate, then Babette intervened, and next was audible the advance of a
firm, even step into the hall, and the closing of the _salon_ door.
"Encore un beau monsie