tion of her speech as
she gave the order.

"Indeed, indeed, I am not hungry; we had chicken and tongue to tea,"
cried Bessie, rather shamefaced now.

"And matrimony-cake and hot buttered toast--"

"No, we had no matrimony-cake," said Bessie, who understood now that my
lady was cross; and no one could be more taunting and unpleasant than my
lady when she was cross.

The footman had taken Miss Fairfax's remonstrative statement for a
negative, and had returned to his own supper when the drawing-room bell
rang again: "Why do you not announce Miss Fairfax's supper? Is it not
ready yet?"

"In a minute, my lady," said the man, and vanished. In due time he
reappeared to say that supper was served, and Lady Latimer looked at her
young guest and repeated the notice. Bessie laughed, and, rising with a
fine color and rather proud air, left the room and went straight to bed.
When neither she nor Mrs. Betts came in to prayers half an hour later,
my lady became silent and reflective: she was not accustomed to revolt
amongst her young ladies, and Miss Fairfax's quiet defiance took her at
a disadvantage. She had anticipated a much more timid habit in this
young lady, whom she had undertaken to manage and mould to the will of
her grandfather. In the morning her humor was gracious again, and
Bessie, who had received counsel from Dora Meadows, deeply experienced
in Aunt Olympia's peculiarities, made no sign of remembering that there
had been any fray. But she was warned of the imperious temper of her
hostess, who would have no independence of action amongst her youthful
charges, but expected them to consult her and defer to her at every
step. "Why, then," thought Bessie, "did she bid me, in the first
instance, do exactly what I liked?" To this there was no answer: is
there ever an answer to the _why_ of an exacting woman's caprice?

After breakfast the young ladies took Mr. Logger out for a salubrious
airing across the heath. In their absence Harry Musgrave and young
Christie called at Fairfield, and, no longer in terror of Lady Latimer's
patronage, talked to her of themselves, which she liked. She was
exceedingly kind, and asked them both to dine the next day. "You will
meet Mr. Cecil Burleigh: you may have heard his name, Mr. Musgrave? The
Conservative member for Norminster," she said rather imposingly.

"Oh yes, he is one of the coming men," said Harry, much interested, and
he accepted the invitation. Mr. Christie declined it. H