young
Englishmen's visit, and he took extreme pleasure in the society of
Bessie Alden, whom he always addressed as "Miss Bessie." She immediately
arranged with him, in the presence of her sister, that he should conduct
her to the scene of Anne Boleyn's execution.

"You may do as you please," said Mrs. Westgate. "Only--if you desire the
information--it is not the custom here for young ladies to knock about
London with young men."

"Miss Bessie has waltzed with me so often," observed Willie Woodley;
"she can surely go out with me in a hansom."

"I consider waltzing," said Mrs. Westgate, "the most innocent pleasure
of our time."

"It's a compliment to our time!" exclaimed the young man with a little
laugh, in spite of himself.

"I don't see why I should regard what is done here," said Bessie Alden.
"Why should I suffer the restrictions of a society of which I enjoy none
of the privileges?"

"That's very good--very good," murmured Willie Woodley.

"Oh, go to the Tower, and feel the ax, if you like," said Mrs. Westgate.
"I consent to your going with Mr. Woodley; but I should not let you go
with an Englishman."

"Miss Bessie wouldn't care to go with an Englishman!" Mr. Woodley
declared with a faint asperity that was, perhaps, not unnatural in a
young man, who, dressing in the manner that I have indicated and knowing
a great deal, as I have said, about London, saw no reason for drawing
these sharp distinctions. He agreed upon a day with Miss Bessie--a day
of that same week.

An ingenious mind might, perhaps, trace a connection between the young
girl's allusion to her destitution of social privileges and a question
she asked on the morrow as she sat with her sister at lunch.

"Don't you mean to write to--to anyone?" said Bessie.

"I wrote this morning to Captain Littledale," Mrs. Westgate replied.

"But Mr. Woodley said that Captain Littledale had gone to India."

"He said he thought he had heard so; he knew nothing about it."

For a moment Bessie Alden said nothing more; then, at last, "And don't
you intend to write to--to Mr. Beaumont?" she inquired.

"You mean to Lord Lambeth," said her sister.

"I said Mr. Beaumont because he was so good a friend of yours."

Mrs. Westgate looked at the young girl with sisterly candor. "I don't
care two straws for Mr. Beaumont."

"You were certainly very nice to him."

"I am nice to everyone," said Mrs. Westgate simply.

"To everyone but me," rejoined Bessie, smilin