y that mere
boyish fancy.

Then came that wonderful new hope. Nan was away; Nan was impossible;
but here was the very counterpart of Nan; and why should he not
transfer all that lingering love and admiration from the one sister to
the other who so closely resembled her? It was the prompting of
despair as much as anything else. He argued with himself. He tried to
make himself believe that this was really Nan--only grown a year or so
older than the Nan whom he had last seen at Como. Of course there must
be differences; people changed with the changing years. Sometimes he
turned away, so that he might only hear her; and her voice was like
Nan's.

Now, if Frank King was busy persuading himself that this transference
of affection was not only natural and possible, but indeed the easiest
and simplest thing in the world, it must be admitted that he obtained
every help and encouragement from Madge Beresford herself. She was
more than kind to him; she was attentive; she professed great respect
for his opinions; and she did her best to conceal--or rather let us say
subdue--her bad temper. And they were very much together during these
two or three days. Frank King, being on such intimate terms of
friendship with Mr. Tom, had almost become an inmate of the house. His
being carried off to lunch, when they met him in the rooming, was a
matter of course. Then he watched Madge paint, and listened to Edith's
music; or they all went downstairs and played billiards, and by that
time it was the hour for the afternoon promenade. It was no matter to
them that December afternoons are short, and sometimes cold; one's
health must be preserved despite the weather; and then again, Brighton
looked very picturesque in the gathering dusk, with the long rows of
her golden lamps. To observe this properly, however, you ought to go
out on the pier; and although at that hour at that time of the year
there is not a human being to be found there, that need not interfere
with your appreciation of the golden-lit spectacle.

Moreover, Mr. Tom was a tyrant. When he had settled that Captain King
might as well remain to dinner, instead of going away to dine by
himself at his hotel, it was no use for Captain King to resist. And
then Tom's invitation, for mere courtesy sake, had to be repeated by
Lady Beresford, and prettily seconded by the two girls. No such
favours, be it observed, were showered on the effervescent Roberts or
on young Thynne