love lost between Olivia Berkeley and Madame Koller.
"And that Mr. Ahlberg. Sarah Scaife says he is a cousin of Eliza's—I mean Elise's—husband."
"I should think if anybody knew the facts in the case it would be Sarah Scaife, as you call her," replied Olivia laughing. "I believe he is a very harmless kind of a man."
At that Mrs. Peyton took off her spectacles and looked at Olivia keenly.
"I hate to believe you are a goose," she said, good-naturedly; "but you must be very innocent. Harmless! That is the very thing that man is not."
"So papa says, but I think it comes from Mr. Ahlberg eating asparagus with his fingers and not knowing how to play whist, or something of the kind. I have seen him on and off at watering places, and in Paris for two or three years. I never saw him do anything that wasn't quite right—and I never heard anything against him except what you and papa say—and that is rather indefinite."
"And you didn't observe my niece with French Pembroke, did you?"
Olivia Berkeley's face turned a warm color. Such very plain spoken persons as Mrs. Peyton were a little embarrassing. But just then came the sound of the Colonel's voice, raised at a considerable distance.
"Olivia, my love—God bless my soul—Mrs. Peyton—there's that charming niece of yours—what a
