t was the old
voice and grand manner that Bessie Fairfax remembered so well, and once
so vastly reverenced. She did not take much more notice of Bessie. After
luncheon she chose to pace the lawn with her brother and Mr. Fairfax,
debating and predicting the course of public affairs, which shared her
thoughts with the government of Beechhurst. Bessie remained indoors with
the two quiet sisters, who were not disposed to forsake the fireside for
the garden: the wood-fire was really comfortable that clouded afternoon,
though September was not yet far advanced. Miss Charlotte sat by one of
the windows, holding back the curtain to watch the trio on the lawn, and
Bessie sat near, able to observe them too.

"Dear Olympia is as energetic as ever, but, Juliana, don't you think she
is contracting a slight stoop to one side?" said Miss Charlotte. Miss
Juliana approached to look out.

"She always did hang that arm. Dear Olympia! Still, she is a majestic
figure. She was one of the handsomest women in Europe, Miss Fairfax,
when Lord Latimer married her."

"I can well imagine that: she is beautiful now when she smiles and
colors a little," said Bessie.

"Ah, that smile of Olympia's! We do not often see it in these days, but
it had a magic. All the men were in love with her--she made a great
marriage. Lord Latimer was not one of our oldest nobility, but he was
very rich and his mansion at Umpleby was splendid, quite a palace, and
our Olympia was queen there."

"We never married," said Miss Charlotte meekly. "It would not have done
for us to marry men who could not have been received at court, so to
speak--at Umpleby, I mean. Olympia said so at the time, and we agreed
with her. Dear Olympia was the only one of us who married, except
Maggie, our half-sister, the eldest of our father's children--Mrs.
Bernard's mother--and that was long before the great event in our
family."

Bessie fancied there was a flavor of regret in these statements.

Miss Juliana took up the thread where her sister had dropped it: "There
is our dear Oliver--what a perfect gentleman he was! How accomplished,
how elegant! If your sweet aunt Dorothy had not died when she did, he
might have been your near connection, Miss Fairfax. We have often urged
him to marry, if only for the sake of the property, but he has
steadfastly refused to give that good and lovely young creature a
successor. Our elder brother also died unmarried."

Miss Charlotte chimed in again: "L