ter than getting
away alone somewhere and having a nice read all by myself.'

'You will not find much quiet time in this house,' he rejoined. 'We
are always on the go here; you have come into a different life. I
fancy your Bible reading will soon be a thing of the past.'

'Never, I hope!' I said a little warmly. 'I don't mean to lead a gay
life, Captain Gates; I don't care for those kind of things now!'

He laughed. 'Perhaps you have never tried it?'

'I never mean to.'

Our conversation was interrupted here, and for the rest of the evening
I said very little to any one; but a short time after I had been in my
bedroom that night Nelly, knocked at my door.

'I'm coming in for a talk,' she said; 'I'm very curious about you. Do
you know that we have all been discussing you downstairs?'

'I dare say,' I said, laughing. Somehow, I felt very much drawn to
Nelly; she seemed such a pleasant, outspoken girl. Constance, the
eldest of them, though full of life and spirits, was rather cold and
distant in manner towards me. In fact, she had given me the impression
that my arrival had not been welcome to her.

Nelly seated herself in a low rocking-chair, and scanned me rather
mischievously before she proceeded:

'You are such a pretty, bright little thing to look at, that Bible
reading seems so incongruous! Of course, I read my Bible in the
evening when I go to bed--at least, when I am not too tired--but that's
a different matter. Mother said we mustn't take any notice of you, and
you would soon shake off these notions; but Captain Gates said you told
him you didn't intend to lead a gay life as we do--you have evidently
taken him into your confidence--and he said he would back you against
us for your determination of purpose. Now will you take my advice,
Hilda? Don't look so hot and uncomfortable. You haven't come into a
houseful of saints, you know, so you can't expect us to fall in with
your views at once. Mother, of course, won't like it if you go against
her plans for you; she will be very vexed, but she will eventually give
in; but it's a different matter with father, and he is your guardian,
remember. He hates "cant," as he calls it, and he has great ideas of
your taking your position in society as you should. If you cross his
will, I warn you you will bring the house down upon your ears; he never
will stand any opposition. And what father will do by his authority,
Kenneth will do out of sheer love of