ano. There she
stayed for certainly an hour.

At length, Major Harper came softly into her sitting-room.

"Don't let me disturb you--but, when you have quite finished playing, I
should like to say a word to you.--Merely on business," he added, with
a slightly confused manner, unusual to the perfect self-possession of
Major Harper.

Agatha sat down and faced him, so frigidly, that he seemed to withdraw
from the range of her eyes. "You do not often converse with me on
business."

He drew back. "That is true. But I considered that with so young a
lady as yourself it was needless.--And I hate all business," he added,
imperatively.

"Then I regret that my father burdened you with mine.

"No burden; it is a pleasure--if by any means I can be of use to you.
Believe me, my dear Miss Bowen, your advantage, your security, is my
chief aim. And therefore in this investment, of which I think it right
to inform you"----

"Investment?" she repeated, turning round a childish puzzled face. "Oh,
Major Harper, you know I am quite ignorant of these things. Do let us
talk of something else."

"With all my heart," he responded, evidently much relieved, and turned
the somewhat awkward conversation to the first available topic, which
chanced to be his brother Nathanael.

"You cannot think how much I miss him in my rooms, even though he was
such a short time with me. An excellent lad is N. L., and I hear they
are making so much of him in Dorsetshire. They tell me he will certainly
stay there the whole three months of his leave."

"Oh, indeed!" observed Agatha, briefly. She hardly knew whether to be
pleased or sorry at this news, or by doubting it to take a feminine
pride in being so much better informed on the subject than the Harper
family.

"No wonder he is so happy," continued the Major, with one of his
occasional looks of momentary, though real sadness. "Fifteen years is a
long time to be away. Though I fear, I myself have been almost as long
without seeing the whole family together."

"Are they all together now?"--Agatha felt an irresistible desire to ask
questions.

"I believe so; at least my father and my three unmarried sisters. Old
bachelors and old maids are plentiful in the Harper family. We are all
stiff-necked animals; we eschew even gilded harness."

Agatha's cheek glowed with anger at this supposed benevolent warning to
herself.

"I dare say your sisters are very happy, nevertheless; marriage is not
always a