iform.

"What can I do for you?" he asked with the air of a king.

"Oh please I have come to stay" said Beatrice nervously.

"Step inside," said the courtly butler.

Beatrice did as she was bid and found herself in a most magnificent hall
hung with rich velvet curtains and paved with Turkish carpets, and
supported by gold and silver pillars.

"What name?" enquired the butler.

"Miss Langton," said Beatrice.

The butler then lead her along costly corridoors and majestic looking
passages and at last stopped at a door which he flung open and called in
a powerful voice "Miss Langton!"

A murmur arose at this announcement and in less than a minute Beatrice
was in Mrs. Vindsor's arms being hugged to death almost. "My dear
Beatrice!" she gasped when her kisses were exhausted "how pleased I am
to see you! the steak has just gone down to be kept hot, come and see
Clara."

These comforting words soothed Beatrice, and then Clara came forward to
greet her friend.

Clara was a slight thin girl about 19 with very fair hair and blue eyes,
she wore a blue satin dress trimmed with real Brussels lace in keeping
with Le Chateau, and a spray of blue flowers in her hair.

"My sisters will be down in one minute" she said kindly "their maids
are doing their hairs."

"Oh I see," said Beatrice rapidly taking off her gloves and displaying
with some pride her white smooth hands.

"I suppose you are very tired," said Mrs. Vindsor giving the fire a poke
with the toe of her shoe.

"Yes I am," said Beatrice "it was very rough crossing."

Just then the door opened and two girls entered about 22 and 24 in age.
The eldest was by no means beautiful but she was intensely good. She had
small black eyes and black hair which she wore in a most peculiar
manner, it was cut in a fringe in front and gathered into a huge knob
behind all except one piece which hung down her back and on the end of
which a single red rose was attached. She was attired in yellow silk and
was by no means courteous to Beatrice, her name was Honoria.

The other girl was the most beautiful of the three. She had lovely brown
hair and soft blue eyes fringed by sweet long lashes. Her nose and mouth
were enough to attract an artist towards her; she was dressed in a
lovely pink silk dress and her knob was arrayed by a pink feather. Her
name was Margaret and she was known through all Paris as the "sweet
young lady with the pathetic blue eyes!" and on the 20th of August (her