"In fact, I have never seen the honored Mr. Hugh Fraser," concluded
Miss Euphrosyne. "Nadine was brought to us a child of three by the wife
of Professor Fraser, since deceased! And, by special arrangement,
she was taken by us, and her whole girlhood has been passed in
our charge. We have never seen her uncle, Professor Fraser, whose
duties at Edinburgh University chained him down. It was her own
father's written and positive direction that no one, whomsoever,
should be admitted to converse with his child. And so Justine and
myself have formed her entirely!"

Hawke's keen eyes glowed for a moment, in a secret satisfaction.
"I have you, my lady! They wished to keep you away from this young
Peri, formed upon such heroically antique models." Major Hawke
gazed upon the leather-faced visage of the slaty-eyed woman, whose
age none might venture to guess. An artless admiration of the
absent Miss Justine's photographed charms, caused a faint glow to
flicker upon the ancient maiden's cheek. When Alan Hawke drew forth
a hideous carbuncle and Indian filigree bracelet (an old relic
of bazaar haunting), the thin lips of the preceptress parted in a
wintry smile.

With modest urging, he soon overcame the Roman firmness of Mademoiselle
Euphrosyne, and, wonder of wonders, was honored by an invitation
to dine with the austere Genevan maiden. The happy Major was soon
triumphant at all points, and Francois was hastily dispatched to
the Photographic Atelier to order a half dozen copies of the card
portrait which displayed to Alan Hawke the rosebud face of the
Veiled Beauty of Delhi. The adventurer made haste to excuse himself
for interrupting the flow of the Parnassian stream, and walked