k elapsed. Lady Latimer called twice on Mrs. Carnegie to offer
counsel and countenance to Bessie Fairfax. The news that she was going
to leave the doctor's house for a rise in the world spread through the
village. Mrs. Wiley and Miss Buff called with the same benevolent
intentions as my lady. Mrs. Carnegie felt this oppressive, but tried to
believe that it was kind; Bessie grew impatient, and wished she could
be let alone. Mr. Phipps laughed at her, and asked if she did not enjoy
her novel importance. Bessie rejoined with a scorny "No, indeed!" Mr.
Phipps retaliated with a grimace of incredulity.

Mr. John Short's letter had been acknowledged, but it did not get itself
answered. Mr. Carnegie said, and said again, that there was no hurry
about it. In fact, he could not bear to look the loss of Bessie in the
face. He took her out to ride with him twice in that seven days, and
when his wife meekly urged that the affair must go on and be finished,
he replied that as Kirkham had done without Bessie for fourteen years,
it might well sustain her absence a little longer. Kirkham, however,
having determined that it was its duty to reclaim Bessie, was moved to
be imperious. As Mr. Fairfax heard nothing from his lawyer, he went into
Norminster to bid him press the thing on. Mr. John Short pleaded to give
the Carnegies longer law, and when Mr. Fairfax refused to see any
grounds for it, he suggested a visit to Beechhurst as more appropriate
than another letter.

"Who is to go? You or I?" asked the squire testily.

"Both, if you like. But you would do best to go alone, to see the little
girl and the good people who have taken care of her, and to let the
whole matter be transacted on a friendly footing."

Mr. Fairfax shrank from the awkwardness of the task, from the
humiliation of it, and said, "Could not Short manage it by post, without
a personal encounter?" Mr. Short thought not. Finally, it was agreed
that if another week elapsed without bringing the promised answer from
Mrs. Carnegie, they would go to Beechhurst together and settle the
matter on the spot.

The doctor's procrastination stole the second seven days as it had
stolen the first.

"Those people mean to make us some difficulty," said Mr. Fairfax with
secret irritation.

Mr. John Short gave no encouragement to this suspicion; instead, he
urged the visit to Beechhurst. "We need not give more than three days to
it--one to go, one to stay, one to return," said he.