A sudden shower, whose drops pattered loudly against the windows, rendered impossible all plans for amusement out of doors.

Gerfaut soon noticed a rather animated conversation taking place between Madame de Bergenheim, who was somewhat embarrassed as to how to amuse her guests for the remainder of the afternoon, and Marillac, who, with his accustomed enthusiasm, had constituted himself master of ceremonies.

A moment later, the drawing-room door opened, and servants appeared bending under the burden of an enormous grand piano which was placed between the windows.

At this sight, a tremor of delight ran through the group of young girls, while Octave, who was standing in one corner near the mantel, finished his Mocha with a still more melancholy air.
"Now, then!" said Marillac, who had been extremely busy during these preparations, and had spread a dozen musical scores upon the top of the piano, "it is agreed that we shall sing the duet from Mose.

There are two or three little boarding-school misses here whose mothers are dying for them to show off.