rd Lambeth broke out into merriment. "I say, Woodley," he cried,
"here's Miss Alden wants to go to the Rosherville Gardens!"

Willie Woodley looked a little blank; he was caught in the fact of
ignorance of an apparently conspicuous feature of London life. But in
a moment he turned it off. "Very well," he said, "I'll write for a
permit."

Lord Lambeth's exhilaration increased. "Gad, I believe you Americans
would go anywhere!" he cried.

"We wish to go to Parliament," said Bessie. "That's one of the first
things."

"Oh, it would bore you to death!" cried the young man.

"We wish to hear you speak."

"I never speak--except to young ladies," said Lord Lambeth, smiling.

Bessie Alden looked at him a while, smiling, too, in the shadow of her
parasol. "You are very strange," she murmured. "I don't think I approve
of you."

"Ah, now, don't be severe, Miss Alden," said Lord Lambeth, smiling still
more. "Please don't be severe. I want you to like me--awfully."

"To like you awfully? You must not laugh at me, then, when I make
mistakes. I consider it my right--as a freeborn American--to make as
many mistakes as I choose."

"Upon my word, I didn't laugh at you," said Lord Lambeth.

"And not only that," Bessie went on; "but I hold that all my mistakes
shall be set down to my credit. You must think the better of me for
them."

"I can't think better of you than I do," the young man declared.

Bessie Alden looked at him a moment again. "You certainly speak very
well to young ladies. But why don't you address the House?--isn't that
what they call it?"

"Because I have nothing to say," said Lord Lambeth.

"Haven't you a great position?" asked Bessie Alden.

He looked a moment at the back of his glove. "I'll set that down," he
said, "as one of your mistakes--to your credit." And as if he disliked
talking about his position, he changed the subject. "I wish you would
let me go with you to the Tower, and to Hampton Court, and to all those
other places."

"We shall be most happy," said Bessie.

"And of course I shall be delighted to show you the House of Lords--some
day that suits you. There are a lot of things I want to do for you.
I want to make you have a good time. And I should like very much to
present some of my friends to you, if it wouldn't bore you. Then it
would be awfully kind of you to come down to Branches."

"We are much obliged to you, Lord Lambeth," said Bessie. "What is
Branches?"

"It's a house in