olseley, the most
brilliant officer of the British Army, with our General Lee now? I
reckon all _that_ shows how we are estimated. And now the ladies of
title are coming over. Oh, tell me all about her; is she very grand,
very pretty?"

"Grand enough for a queen over your new monarchy," replied Delaven,
who derived considerable enjoyment from teasing the girl about affairs
political--"and pretty? No, she's not that; she's just Beauty's self,
entirely."

"And you knew her well in Paris?" asked Evilena, with a hesitating
suspicion as to why he had not announced such a wonderful acquaintance
before--this woman who was Beauty's self, and a widow. She wondered if
she had appeared crude compared with those grand dames he had known
and forgotten to mention.

"Oh, yes, I knew her while the old Marquise was living, that was when
your mother and Col. Kenneth met her, but afterwards she took to
travel for a change, and has evidently taken your South on her way. It
will be happiness to see her again."

"And brother Ken knew her, too?" asked the girl, with wide-open eyes;
"and _he_ never mentioned her, either--well!"

"The rascal!--to deprive you of an account of all the lovely ladies he
met! But you were at school when they returned, were you not?--and Ken
started off hot foot for the West and Indian fighting, so you see
there were excuses."

"And Kenneth does not know you are here still, and will not know the
beautiful Marquise is here. Won't he be surprised to see you all?"

"I doubt if I cause him such a shock," decided Delaven; "when he gets
sight of Judithe, Marquise de Caron, he will naturally forget at once
whether I am in America or Ireland."

"Indeed, then, I never knew Kenneth to slight a friend," said the
girl, indignantly.

"But maybe you never saw him face to face with such a temptation to
make a man forget the universe."

"Sh--h!" she whispered, softly. Gertrude had come out on the veranda
looking for the Judge. Seeing him down at the landing she walked
leisurely in that direction.

"You do say such wild, extravagant things," continued Evilena, "that I
just had to stop you until Gertrude was out of hearing. I suppose you
know she and Kenneth are paired off for matrimony."

"Are they, now? Well, he's a lucky fellow; when are we to dance at the
wedding?"

"Oh, they never tell me anything about serious things like that,"
complained Evilena. "There's Aunt Sajane; she can tell us, if any one
can; everybo