"This doesn't surprise me at all, Herminie. I knew that M. Olivier must have a kind heart." "He is as brave as a lion, too, with it all. His friend, who served in the same regiment, has told me of many deeds of wonderful valour on M. Olivier's part." "That seems only natural to me. I have always believed that good and kind-hearted people were the bravest," replied Ernestine. "You, for example, must be very courageous, Herminie." The conversation between the two young girls was again interrupted by a young man, who, after interchanging a quick glance with Herminie, politely invited Ernestine to dance. Mlle. de Beaumesnil saw the look, and it made her blush and smile. Nevertheless, she made an engagement to dance the next quadrille, but as soon as the young man had walked away Ernestine gaily remarked to her new friend: "You are making me a very dangerous person, my dear Herminie." "Why do you say that, Ernestine?" "That invitation I just received--" "Well, what of it?" "Was all your work." "Mine?" "Yes, you said to yourself, 'This poor Ernestine must, at least, dance twice during the evening. Everybody is not as kind-hearted as M. Olivier, but I am queen here, and I will give orders to one of my subjects.'" But just then Queen Herminie's subject came to say that the quadrille was forming. "Good-bye, Madame Sybil," exclaimed Herminie, shaking her finger threateningly at Mlle. de Beaumesnil. "I'll teach you not to be so proud of your wonderful powers of divination." The young girl had scarcely walked away with her partner before Olivier came up, and, seating himself beside the duchess, said: "Who is that young girl I just danced with?" "An orphan who supports herself by her embroidery, M. Olivier, and who is not very happy, I think, for you can not imagine the touching way in which she thanked me for my attention this evening. It was this that made us friends so quickly, for I never saw her until to-night." "That is what she meant, I suppose, by speaking so artlessly of what she called your compassion, and mine." "Poor child! She must have been very unkindly treated, and is still, perhaps, to make her so grateful for the slightest show of interest." "Hers is certainly a very original character. You can't imagine what a strange question she asked me, imploring me to be perfectly frank all the while." "No, I can not." "Well, she asked me whether I thought her pretty or ugly." "What a strange child! And what did you answer?" "I told her the truth, as she insisted." "What! M. Olivier, did you really tell her that she wasn't pretty?" "I certainly did, adding, however,--and that, too, was the truth,--that she had such a frank and gentle manner that it made one quite forget that she was not pretty." "Great heavens! M. Olivier," cried Herminie, almost in affright, "that wasn't a pleasant thing for her to hear. And she did not seem hurt?"