rl I know, Fern; your mother's name 'Little Sunshine'
just suits you; you always seem to me the very essence of sunshine."

"Oh, one must be dull and stupid sometimes," returned Fern, with a
suspicion of tears in her voice. "Never mind about me; tell me about
your afternoon, Crystal; have you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes--no--well, the children did. The flowers were beautiful and the
gardens so pretty, and there were plenty of gayly dressed people
there. Oh, by the bye, I saw Mr. Huntingdon; he was walking with such
a handsome girl."

Fern felt an odd choking sensation in her throat. "You must have been
mistaken, Crystal; Mr. Erle has been sitting with us."

"Oh, yes, he told us so, for of course he came up to speak to me when
Miss Selby had joined her friends; they came in very late, just as we
were leaving."

"And--and--it was Miss Selby?"

"Yes, and her aunt, Lady Maltravers; and they had other people with
them. I liked the look of Miss Selby; she has a nice frank face. I
think she looks charming, and she walks so well too. I do like a girl
to hold herself well."

"And Mr. Erle was walking with her?"

"Yes, they are evidently very intimate;" but Crystal forbore to add
that Erle had looked decidedly uncomfortable at the sight of her,
though he had come up to her, and had entered into conversation. She
had not thought him looking either well or happy, though Miss Selby
had seemed in high spirits. But she kept these thoughts to herself.

Fern did not ask any more questions. A miserable consciousness that
was new to her experience kept her tongue tied.

Erle had not mentioned that he was going to the Botanical Gardens with
Miss Selby; he had only muttered something about an engagement as he
took his leave.

Crystal saw that Fern looked discomposed, but she took no notice. She
thought the sooner that her eyes were open the better, for in her own
mind she was convinced from what she had seen that afternoon that Erle
Huntingdon was on the eve of an engagement to Miss Selby, if he were
not actually engaged. They were quite alone when she had met them
first. Lady Maltravers was sitting down at a little distance, and Miss
Selby was blushing and smiling and looking excessively happy, and
Crystal had been rather indignant at the sight.

"Pray do not let me keep you from your friends," she had said rather
coldly when Erle came up to her. "That was Miss Selby, was it not, the
tall young lady in gray with whom you were w