hat kind?'

'I hardly know, sir, only I have heard that they are very beautiful.
There is tumbling, I know for certain; and there was the Plagues of
Egypt; but I believe it changes every night.'

'And you have not yet seen them?'

'Oh no, sir, it is not for such as me; the second places are half a
franc!'

'And what is your name?' said Sidonia.

'Therese; at your service, sir.'

'You shall go and see the Baroni family to-night, Therese, if your
mistress will let you.'

'I am sure she would if you would ask her, sir,' said Therese, looking
down and colouring with delight. The little jacket seemed very agitated.

'Here they come!' said Sidonia, looking out of the window on the great
square.

A man, extremely good-looking and well made, in the uniform of a marshal
of France, his cocked hat fringed and plumed, and the colour of his coat
almost concealed by its embroidery, played a clarionet like a master;
four youths of a tender age, remarkable both for their beauty and their
grace, dressed in very handsome scarlet uniforms, with white scarfs,
performed upon French horns and similar instruments with great energy
and apparent delight; behind them an honest Blouse, hired for the
occasion, beat the double drum.

'Two of them are girls,' said Therese; 'and they are all the same
family, except the drummer, who belongs, I hear, to Ypres. Sometimes
there are six of them, two little ones, who, I suppose, are left at home
to-day; they look quite like little angels; the boy plays the triangle
and his sister beats a tambourine.'

'They are great artists,' murmured Sidonia to himself, as he listened to
their performance of one of Donizetti's finest compositions. The father
stood in the centre of the great square, the other musicians formed a
circle round him; they continued their performance for about ten minutes
to a considerable audience, many of whom had followed them, while the
rest had collected at their appearance. There was an inclination in the
curious multitude to press around the young performers, who would have
been in a great degree hidden from general view by this discourteous
movement, and even the sound of their instruments in some measure
suppressed. Sidonia marked with interest the calm and commanding manner
with which, under these circumstances, the father controlled the people.
They yielded in an instant to his will: one tall blacksmith seemed
scarcely to relish his somewhat imperious demeanour, and sto