s her,
wishing to hear her voice--which was a most tunable voice--in reply to
her magnificent neighbor, but Bessie sat in beaming, beautiful silence,
lending him her ears, and at intervals giving him a monosyllabic reply.
She might certainly have done worse. She might have spoken foolishly, or
she might have said what she occasionally thought in contradiction of
his solemn opinions. And surely this would have been unwise? Her silence
was pleasing, and he wished for nothing in her different from what she
seemed. He liked her youthfulness, and approved her simplicity as an
eminently teachable characteristic; and if she was not able greatly to
interest or amuse him, perhaps that was not from any fault or
deficiency in herself, but from circumstances over which she had no
control. An old love, a true love, unwillingly relinquished, is a
powerful rival.

The whole of the following day was at his service to walk and talk with
Bessie if he and she pleased, but Bessie invited Miss Burleigh into her
private parlor and went into seclusion. That was after breakfast, and
Mr. Cecil made a tour of the stables with the squire, and saw Janey take
her morning gallop. Then he spoke in praise of Janey's mistress while on
board the Foam, and with all the enthusiasm at his command of his own
hopes. They had not become expectations yet.

"It is uphill work with Elizabeth," said her grandfather. "She cares for
none of us here."

"The harder to win the more constant to keep," replied the aspirant
suitor cheerfully.

"I shall put no pressure on her. Here is your opportunity, and you must
rely on yourself. She has a heart for those who can reach it, but my
efforts have fallen short thus far." This was not what the squire had
once thought to say.

Mr. Cecil Burleigh did not admire gushing, demonstrative women, and a
gushing wife would have wearied him inexpressibly. He felt an attraction
in Bessie's aloofness, and said again, "She is worth the pains she will
cost to win: a few years will mature her fine intelligence and make of
her a perfect companion. I admire her courageous simplicity; there is a
great deal in her character to work upon."

"She is no cipher, certainly; if you are satisfied, I am," said Mr.
Fairfax resignedly. "Yet it is not flattering to think that she would
toss up her cap to go back to the Forest to-morrow."

"Then she is loyal in affection to very worthy people. I have heard of
her Forest friends from Lady Latimer."