and I wasn't
anything to you."

Of late, Harriet had been getting much into the habit of this ambiguous
kind of remark when in her cousin's company. Julian noticed it, and it
made him a trifle uneasy. He attributed it, however, to the girl's
strangely irritable disposition, and never failed to meet such
outbreaks with increased warmth and kindness of tone. To-day, Harriet's
vagaries seemed to affect him somewhat unusually. He became silent at
times, and then tried to laugh away the unpleasantness, but the
laughter was not exactly spontaneous. At length he brought back the
conversation to the point from which it had started, and asked if she
had any serious intention of leaving Mrs. Ogle.

"I'm tired of being ordered about by people!" Harriet exclaimed. "I
know I sha'n't put up with it much longer. I only wish I'd a few pounds
to start a shop for myself."

"I heartily wish I had the money to give you," was Julian's reply.

"Don't you save anything at all?" asked his cousin, with affected
indifference.

"A little; very little. At all events, I think we shall be able to have
our week at the seaside when the time comes. Have you thought where
you'd like to go to?"

"No; I haven't thought anything about it. What time shall you get back
home to-night?"

"Rather late, I dare say. We sit talking and forget the time. It may be
after twelve o'clock."

Harriet became silent again. They reached Hyde Park, and joined the
crowds of people going in all directions about the walks. Harriet had
always a number of ill-natured comments to make on the dress and
general appearance of people they passed. Julian smiled, but with no
genuine pleasure. As always, he did his best to lead the girl's
thoughts away from their incessant object, hers, elf.

They were back again at the end of Gray's Inn Road by half-past four.

"Well, I won't keep you," said Harriet, with the sour smile. "I know
you're in a hurry to be off. Are you going to walk?"

"Yes; I can do it in about an hour."

The girl turned away without further leave-taking, and Julian walked
southwards with a troubled face.

Waymark expected him to tea. At this, their third meeting, the two were
already on very easy terms. Waymark did the greater share of the
talking, for Julian was naturally of fewer words; from the beginning it
was clear that the elder of the friends would have the initiative in
most things. Waymark unconsciously displayed something of that egoism
which i