“Mr. Tredick,” said that gentleman, giving her his card; “don’t mention the lady at all. She will wait here till I come down again. Just tell the Madame that Mr. Tredick wishes to see her a moment on business.” But Mary’s voice spoke from the stairhead, “Katty, the Madame says ask the gentleman to walk right up,” and Mr. Tredick, hearing, awaited no second invitation. Floy’s brain was in a whirl. “The Madame? the Madame?” she repeated in low, agitated tones, dropping into a chair in the luxuriously-furnished parlor, but with no thought of its richly-carved, costly wood and velvet cushions. “My aunt must be visiting here. But ’twas for the Madame he asked, ’twas the Madame he wished to see! Can it be that she--she is-- Yes, it must--it is!” She hid her face in her hands, with a slight shudder and something between a groan and a sigh. The poor Madame had never been an attractive person to Floy; she was not one whom she could greatly respect or look up to for comfort in sorrow, for guidance in times of doubt and perplexity. In finding her she had not found one who would at all fill the place of the parents she mourned, and whose loss had left her without an earthly counsellor, an earthly prop. In the bitterness of her disappointment she learned how much she had been half unconsciously hoping for. The pressure of poverty had been sorely felt by the young girl during these past months, but was as nothing to the yearning for the tender love and care and happy trustfulness that had been the crowning blessing of earlier days. CHAPTER XXX. PANSY. “A hundred thousand welcomes: I could weep, And I could laugh; I am light and heavy: welcome!” SHAKESPEARE. Madame Le Conte received her legal adviser that morning in her boudoir, rising from her easy chair in her eager haste to learn if he were the bearer of tidings, and coming forward to meet him as he entered. “What news, Mr. Tredick? I see in your face that you have some for me!” she cried, almost breathless with excitement and the exertion, slight as it was. “Ah! are you so skilled in reading faces?” he returned playfully. “Well, I own that I have a bit of news for you--good news as far as it goes. But let me beg you to be seated and calm yourself before I proceed further.” “Oh, go on, go on! don’t keep me in suspense!” she cried in increasing agitation, sinking into her chair again and pointing him to a seat as she spoke. “Remember it is good news,” he repeated, taking up a large feather fan and beginning to fan her flushed cheeks, while Mary brought her smelling-salts and asked if she would have a glass of water. She made a gesture of refusal, and pointed to the door opening into her dressing-room. The girl at once obeyed the hint and went out, closing the door after her. “Now, Mr. Tredick, speak, speak!” exclaimed the Madame imperatively. “Have you heard anything of--of--”