s said to be rather short of money.

"He has a fine forehead, and if one likes beards, his is certainly a
handsome specimen," said Aunt Helen ruminantly, as we were driving home.
"I have no fancy for them myself, but it is always possible to shave
them off; that's one comfort."

I divined of whom she was speaking, but made no response.

"How did you like him, Virginia?"

"Mr. Ferroll? I found him very entertaining," I replied.

"I thought he seemed decidedly impressed by you. He scarcely kept his
eyes off you all through dinner. I don't blame him, for you were looking
your best. Duchess of Clyde! You might do worse, Virginia. They say he
is anxious to marry."

"So Mrs. Tremaine informed me."

"Did she really? That was very amiable of her, especially as you are a
stranger, and there must be plenty of girls in whom she is interested,
who are setting their caps for him. I could not help thinking at dinner
what a handsome pair you would make."

"One would suppose you were in earnest from your serious tone, Aunt
Helen."

"And so I am, so I am, quite in earnest. Of course I should wish to know
a little more definitely about him before anything final was arranged.
But from what I hear, there can be no question in regard to his title.
If there were the slightest suspicion of anything out of the way
concerning it, he would never have been at Mrs. Tremaine's, who is a
very particular woman, and knows what she knows. He seems, so far as I
could judge, to be a manly, right-minded young man. He told me that he
shot three tigers in India, and I observed that he took scarcely any
wine at dinner. It won't do though, Virginia, to dilly-dally, for I am
given to understand that he leaves in a fortnight for California, to
explore the West. But he is coming back to spend several months next
winter, and if you do not throw cold water on him now, he may feel
disposed to run on to Boston, in spite of the efforts that will be made
to keep him here."

"I feel very certain," said I, "that he will come to Boston for a few
days, as he has letters to Aunt Agnes."

"To your Aunt Agnes? What do you mean, child?" In her astonishment I
thought she was going to bounce out of the carriage.

"I don't wonder you are surprised. Yes, the first question he asked was
if I were not the niece of Miss Agnes Harlan, of Boston. It seems that
she and his father made an ocean passage together a great many years
ago, when they were both young, and the ac