only will!" Violet is in eager delight now.

"To be sure I will. Mr. Latimer will settle it before you go. Let us
make a call upon them; they must have smoked themselves blue by this
time."

They have smoked the sanctum very blue, and are full of apologies. Mr.
Latimer dumps the contents of two chairs on the floor, and the opera
matter is soon settled. Violet is extremely happy over it.

"Do you realize how late it is?" exclaims Mrs. Latimer, presently.
"Gertrude is coming in for a little visit before the play begins."

She arrives just then, and the professor joins the masculine circle
with great zest. The three women have a cosey time until Mrs. Latimer
has to leave them to give some small attention to her dinner, which
proves very enjoyable. There can be no compliments to Gertrude
afterward, and the time is drawing near.

"John," Mrs. Latimer says afterward, "I have solved the problem. I know
just where the secret charm of Miss St. Vincent came to light, and won
against all the beauty and advantages of her rival."

"Well?" he gives a lazy, inquiring laugh, "I dare say you have made
five chapters of discoveries."

"It was the child. Why, Mrs. Grandon had the whole nursery in her arms
in five minutes, and she never made a bit of fuss! Even baby went to
her. That little Miss Cecil adores her. But you couldn't imagine Madame
Lepelletier really fond of children. She speaks to them in a lovely
manner, but I think they must miss the true heart in it. He chose
wisely, since he had to give his child a mother."

"He is a capital good fellow," says John Latimer, "Few men would
undertake the family bother he has."

CHAPTER XIX.

"Thou on one side, I on the other."

All her life Violet Grandon will remember "Lohengrin," the perfect
evening to the rather imperfect day. In good truth the day disappoints
madame as well. Gertrude comes down with Violet, and there is a little
shopping to finish. Laura and Gertrude cannot agree in one or two
points concerning the wedding. Floyd and the professor are to lunch at
Delmonico's with some literary men.

Of course madame is serene and charming, but Violet and she keep
distinctly apart. There is no tender confidence, as with Mrs. Latimer.
When the girls, Laura and Gertrude, are fairly out of the way, Violet
sits shyly looking at some engravings, and answers gently, but makes no
comments of her own. She does feel strange with this beautiful woman.
She wonders how much Fl