on, I shall be obliged to seek
another home, where I shall be free from his unmanly persecution;
yes"--as Fern uttered an incredulous exclamation--"though I love you
all so dearly, and have grown to look upon this as a home, I shall be
forced to go a second time into the world."

"But Percy must hear reason," returned Fern, tearfully. "I will ask
mother to talk to him, and I know Mr. Erle has given him hints. We can
not part with you, Crystal. I have never had a companion of my own age
before, and mother is so often out."

"Well, well," observed Crystal, soothingly, "I have told him the truth
to-night, and perhaps he will believe it; but there! we will not talk
about your brother any more. And so he left you alone with Mr. Erle,
Fern?"

"Oh, yes, but we were not long alone," returned the girl, innocently.

"You and Mr. Erle seem good friends."

"Yes, I suppose so," rather shyly; "he was very kind to me this
evening."

"Did he tell you anything about the beautiful Miss Selby who is to
dine with her aunt, Lady Maltravers, at Belgrave House to-night? a
cousin of Mr. Erle's, Lady Denison, is to act hostess."

"No," returned Fern, rather faintly, but she was conscious of a sharp
pain as Crystal spoke.

"And yet he meets her very often. Ah, well, young men do not tell all
their little secrets. Of course Mr. Erle's life is very different from
ours; we are working bees, Fern, and he is a butterfly of fashion.
When he comes here he makes himself very bright and pleasant, but we
know nothing of his real life."

"No, of course not." But a sort of chill passed over Fern as Crystal
spoke. Why did she say these sort of things so often to her? did she
think it wrong for her and Mr. Erle to be friends? was she warning
her, and against what? Well, it was true she knew nothing of his life
excepting what he chose to tell her. He had never mentioned this Miss
Selby, though, according to Percy's account, he met her very often.
Few ladies dined at Belgrave House, but to-night she was to be there.
For the first time Fern's gentle nature felt jarred and out of tune.
The bright little fire had burned hollow; there was a faint clinging
mist from the fog outside; the cricket had ceased to chirp. Fern
glanced round her disconsolately; how poor and shabby it must look to
him, she thought, after the rooms at Belgrave House.

But the next moment she started up in a conscience-stricken way.
"There is mother's step, Crystal, and we have ne