s and gardens of their laboring tenants, and was putting
it into practice on the Kirkham estates, to the great comfort and
advantage of his dependants.

"My Edward began it," whispered Dora, not satisfied that her husband
should lose the honor that to him belonged.

"Yes," said Bessie, "I remember what sensible, kind views he always took
of his duties and responsibilities."

"And another thing he has done," continued the little lady. "While other
men are enclosing every waste roadside scrap they dare, he has thrown
open again a large meadow by the river which once upon a time was free
to the villagers on the payment of a shilling a head for each cow turned
out upon it. The gardens to the new cottages are planted with fruit
trees, and you cannot think what interest is added to the people's lives
when they have to attend to what is pleasant and profitable for
themselves. It cannot be a happy feeling to be always toiling for a
master and never for one's own. There! Edward has taken himself off, so
I may tell you that there never was anybody so good as he is, so
generous and considerate."

Dora evidently regarded her spouse with serious, old-fashioned devotion
and honor. Bessie smiled. She could have borne an equal tribute to her
dear Harry, and probably if Mrs. Cecil Burleigh had been as effusive as
these young folks, she might have done the same; for while they talked
in the rose-bower Mr. Cecil Burleigh and his wife came by, she leaning
on his arm and looking up and listening as to the words of an oracle.

"Is she not sweet? What a pity it would have been had those two not
married!" said Dora softly, and they passed out of sight.

"Come out and see the roses," Lady Latimer said to Elizabeth through the
window early next morning. "They are beautiful with the dew upon them."

Harry Musgrave and his wife were at breakfast, with a good deal of
litter about the room. Botanical and other specimens were on the
window-sill, on the table was a sheaf of popular Italian street-songs
collected in various cities, and numerous loose leaves of manuscript.
Harry had decided that Bellagio was a pleasant spot to rest in for a
week or so, and Bessie had produced their work in divers kinds. They
were going to have a delightful quiet morning of it, when my lady tapped
on the glass and invited Elizabeth out to admire the roses.

"Don't stay away long," whispered Harry to his wife, rising to pay his
compliments.

He did not reseat