, "It
is that madame will have mademoiselle down to her little supper. The
evening will be very charming because of mademoiselle."

Caroline glanced at the blush-roses, and her eyes began to sparkle. Then
she caught a glimpse of Eliza's face, and turned her glance resolutely
away, looking penitent. Eliza knew something of madame's little suppers,
but Caroline did not. If bursts of laughter and a soft tangle of voices
sometimes came up to her room in the night, she had no means of knowing
that the noise was not from the servants' hall, and Eliza would have
died rather than enlighten her. Besides, she had nothing absolutely
wrong to tell, for some of the first young noblemen in England came to
Olympia's little entertainments; and when Eliza heard their names
announced she had not a word to say, having lived long enough to attain
a reverence for titles.

In fact, it is doubtful if she did not value her charge a little more
highly from the fact that she lived in a house where noblemen came and
went with such evident sociability.

At first Eliza had darted fiery glances at the robe of India gauze,
thinking it a theatrical costume; but when she learned that it was only
a dress which would introduce her darling into the best society, from
which a selfish mother had rigidly excluded her, she allowed her
features to relax, and absolutely smiled on the little French woman.

Then the smile, which had been struggling all the time about Caroline's
mouth, broke over her whole face. She could neither keep her hands from
the dress or the moss-roses, but touched them daintily, half doubtful,
indeed, if they were intended for her.

"If mademoiselle will please," said the little French woman, drawing a
low chair before the dressing-table, and taking an ivory brush, carved
at the back like a Chinese puzzle, in her hand.

Caroline sat down, smiling in spite of herself. Eliza stood a little on
one side, resolved to be upon her guard.

While she was looking, down came that abundant hair in a torrent, tress
upon tress, wave after wave, with tinges of gold rippling through and
through the brown. The little French woman held up both hands, brush and
all, in astonishment, and burst out in a noisy cataract of French, which
delighted Eliza all the more because she could not understand a word of
it.

But Caroline did understand, and this outburst of genuine admiration
pleased her so much that, in a moment, her face was glowing like a whole