Mademoiselle Aoremac; Or, The Power Of Song.

" I'll no yield to ony man in determination or perseverance , and if I fail it ' 11 no be for want o' trying , " said the dogged old Scot . In this spirit hc left home , and Peggy was uow indeed alone , and as thc weary month s glided by without word of the wished for employment she began to feel dull and dispirited . Her father had written to her regularly every week , and as regularly had he heard from her ,

as he always advised her of his intended stopping places . One clay she got word that ho had expectations of getting something to do in London through an acquaintance there , so her next letter was to be directed to the Post-office , St . Martin ' s-lc-Grand . She wrote as directed , but a week passed without the usual letter , so she wrote again in some anxiety , and waited another week , au anxious , weary week ,

without a word ; and then , almost despairing , she wrote another , announcing her intention of starting for London . Packing a few necessary articles into a bundle , and securing the remnant stock of money , she locked up the house and bravely set out on foot to walk to Aberdeen in order tojeconomise her funds . From thence sho took tho steamer to London in order to search for her father , who she feared

had fallen ill , and would fare badly among strangers , so it was therefore her bounden duty to find him out and tend him . In due time she was safely lauded at Irongate Wharf , and immediately began what most persons would have considered a Quixotic quest . She had her own scheme for finding him ; she would utilize her heavenly gift and endeavour to draw her father to her by the power of song .

Brave Peggy ! God bless your filial devotion , and may He guide and prosper you—direct your footsteps aright throug h ' the labyrinth of London .

CHAPTER III . " All things above , I'd sing of love , I'd sing of gentle love , and strong , Till hearts would melt , because they felt , And owned the power of love and song . "

About five years after the event recorded in the close of the last chapter , St . James ' s Hall , Piccadilly , was crowded one evening during the Christmas holidays b y an audience eager to hoar the new vocalist whom all the critics had been lauding to the skies , and , ns she had only appeared previously in Italian opera , there was considerable

excitement and curiosity to hear her in the role of ballad singer . Notwithstanding her foreign-sounding name , Mademoiselle Marguerite Noiemac , rumour said she was an English-woman , while the natives of the other portions of the Kingdom—Irish , Welsh , and Scotchthought they had as much claim to her . A strange story had got

about that she had been a street singer who had been run over by a gentleman ' s carriage , and he , on her recovery , finding she wtts possessed of a splendid voice , had sent her abroad to have it cultivated . Whatever the truth concerning her prcviouscarcer , there was no doubt , from the crowds who flocked to hear her , that she was a prime favourite .

The occasion of thc concert was tho raising of funds for a police orphanage , and it seemed as if the whole force of the Metropolis had gathered together . It transpired that the lady hearing that the funds of one of their institutions were at a very low ebb , had volunteered to got up a concert , pay all expenses , and hand over the

whole proceeds to the fund . As her numbers on the programme were all old-fashioned English songs , it was evident she had selected what she thought would host suit her audience . Each time she made her appearance she was enthusiastically received , and encored every time KIIC sang , and at last a distinct call was heard above the applause

" Gie us ' The March o' the Cameron men , J Ins was taken up all over the hnll , the whole house rising and vociferously demanding "Thc Cameron men ! " and upon silence being restored she complied , and gave the well-known air in such a style that her hearers were electrified . Long and loud were the cheers on the conclusion of tho

song , and during the hubbub a gentleman left his stall and made Ins way behind the orchestra . He had been puzzling himself for some time during the concert as to where he had seen the face of the singer before , but " The Cameron men " dispelled his doubts , and James Grant , for it was he , at once recognised iu Mademoiselle

Noremac , his old friend Peggy Cameron , the loreign-looking name being only the thin disguise of her own name reversed . The applause was still resounding through the hull when a maid , handing a card to her mistress iu her retiring room , said " a gent leman to see Mademoiselle . "

A g lance tit the card showed the name "Mr . James Grant , Savage Club , " and upon her saying " show him in , " a uioustaclied and bearded figure , very unlike the Jamie Grant of her memory , bowed himself in , paying "I have the honour , " then seeing she was all alone he changed the style of address to "No , hang it all , Peg , I have the pleasure "—

Mademoiselle Aoremac; Or, The Power Of Song.

He got no further , for seizing him with both her hands she cried '" Jamie , Jamie , is it indeed you ? " No doubt hc lost no time iu satisfying her of his very identity ; and of the many questions and answers they put and gave to each other we have no space to record . She briefly recounted to him her

extraordinary venture in London , how her father had met with an accident , having been knocked down by thc horse of a gentleman ' s carriage and conveyed to the hospital , and how duriug the time ho lay unconscious she of course never heard from him , which so alarmed her that she went to Aberdeen and took the boat to London ,

and on her arrival there sho enquired for Regent-street , which sho imagined was the principal street , and having gained the corner of a quiet off street , Princes-street—she knew it well now—she began to sing * and speedily attracted a crowd . She sting * her father ' s favourite song— " The March of the Cameron Men , " so that if hc were not

within hearing he should of hear it , and then told the crowd in a few words that she sang in order to find her father . A kindly sergeant of police , whose name , singularly enough , was Cameron , procured her a comfortable lodging with a relative , and caused enquiries to be made through the authorities at Scotland Yard concerning her father .

She had told tho crowd she would be at the same spot the following evening , about thc same time , and sing them the same song , and the consequence was that there was a tremendous gathering of people , chiefl y Scots , and before the song was finished , a carriage drove up , in which was her father and a Mr . Cameron , who had been the

unfortunate cause of the accident . Through this gentleman her father got ti very lucrative appointment , and he also interested himself in getting good teachers for her until her father was enabled to send her to the Continent to study at the best schools there . This was briefl y her story up to the present time , and she had hardly finished

ere a knock at the door warned her that her turn had come to sing again . Rapidly running over a heap of pieces of music , she selected one , and giving it to her attendant , said "I am going to change the song in the programme , give this to the accompanist , " then

turning to Grant , she added , " Go to the front again and I'll sing you a song you once asked me to sing , but which 1 refused at the time , and when the concert is over , you may , if you please , come aud see me to my carriage . "

He had scarcely regained his . seat , when the fair singer rc-appearcd , and was greeted with loud applause , which was presentl y hushed as thc well-known words of "Auld Robin Gray" fell upon the ears of the deli ghted audience , which , when the song was finished , testified its appreciation of it in a loud and demonstrative recall .

Smilingly she consented , and entranced her hearers with her rendering of " I dreamt 'that I dwelt , " and it seemed to strike not a few that she emphasised the refrain" But I also dreamt , which pleased me most , That you loved me still the same , "

in a most bewitching maimer , and this thought thrilled James Grant particularly , and , need we say , ecstatically , as he felt and owned the power of love and song . The concert over , he went behind again , and found tho fair can-Ut trice receiving the congratulations of a number of persons , to some

ot whom he was dul y introduced , amongst whom were " Mr . Cameron , to whom wc owe so much , " who immediately recognised Grant as a man he had met in society before , and " Inspector Cameron , my first friend in London , " who wrung his hand with a grip of iron , and agitated it like a pump-handle . " Here is one

you do not require to be introduced to , " said she , bringing forward a grizzly-bearded man , to whom she remarked , " Here is our old friend , Jamie Grant , father ! " and the two with exclamations of delight and surprise warmly greeted each other . He was invited

to accompany them homo , and , we need hardly say , required little pressing . What a deal they had to talk about ; lie had to listen to further details of their wonderful adventures , and they in return had to hear a summary of his travels , foi * ho had been nearly all over the world since they had last heard of him .

On the following day he brought his old aunt to see her , and the mooting between the two was , its might have been expected , a very affectionate one . They have seen a great deal of each other since , and are likely to see a great deal more in the future , if there is any

( ruth in the brief announcement iu the newspapers to the effect that "We understand that the well-known traveller and author , Mr . James Grant , is shortl y to le . itl to thc hymeneal altar the celebrated singer , Mademoiselle Noremac . " St . Andrew ' s Day , 18 U 2 .