sie was resting in Miss Hague's parlor, hearing anecdotes
of her father and uncles when they were little boys, and growing by
degrees composed after her disturbing emotion. She wished to keep the
morning's adventure to herself, or, if the story must be told, to leave
the telling of it to Mr. Cecil Burleigh; and when she went back to the
house, the old governess accompanying her, she betrayed no counsel by
her face: that was rosy with the winter cold, and hardly waxed rosier
when Lady Angleby expressed a wish to know what she had done with her
nephew, missing since breakfast. Bessie very simply said that she had
only seen him for a minute, and she believed that he had gone into the
town; she had been paying a long-promised visit to Miss Hague.

Mr. Cecil Burleigh, reappearing midway the afternoon, was summoned to
his aunt's closet and bidden to explain himself. The explanation was far
from easy. Lady Angleby was profoundly irritated, and reproached her
nephew with his blundering folly in visiting Miss Julia Gardiner in Miss
Fairfax's company. She refused to believe but that his fascination must
have proved irresistible if Miss Fairfax had not been led to the
discovery of that faded romance. Was he quite sure that the young lady's
answer was conclusive? Perfectly conclusive--so conclusive that he
should not venture to address her again. "Not after Julia's marriage?"
his sister whispered. Lady Angleby urged a temporary retreat and then a
new approach: it was impossible but that a fine, spirited girl like Miss
Fairfax must have ambition and some appreciation of a distinguished
mind; and how was her dear Cecil to support his position without the
fortune she was to bring him? At this point Mr. Cecil Burleigh
manifested a contemptuous and angry impatience against himself, and rose
and left the discussion to his grieved and disappointed female
relatives. Mr. Fairfax, on being informed of the repulse he had
provoked, received the news calmly, and observed that it was no more
than he had anticipated.

Towards evening Bessie felt her fortitude failing her, and did not
appear at dinner nor in the drawing-room. Her excuses were understood
and accepted, and in the morning early Mr. Cecil Burleigh conveyed
himself away by train to London, that his absence might release her from
seclusion. Before he went, in a consultation with his aunt and Mr.
Fairfax, it was agreed that the late episode in his courtship should be
kept quiet and not