and Lady Smithson agreed, they had never expected to meet. She was
laughing and talking eagerly, and by and by ran up to Bessie,
exclaiming in a patronising tone--

'Oh! my dear Miss Bessie, let me introduce you to Mr. Foxholm--such
a clever literary man. He knows everybody--all about everybody and
everything. It would be such an advantage! And he has actually
made me give him my autograph! Only think of that!'

Bessie thought of her own good luck in being anonymous, but did not
express it, only saying, 'Autograph-hunters are a great nuisance. I
know several people who find them so.'

'Yes, he said it was one of the penalties of fame that one must
submit to,' returned Miss Arthuret, with a delighted laugh of
consciousness.

Bessie rejoiced that none of her own people were near to see the
patronising manner in which Arthurine introduced her to Mr. Foxholm,
a heavily-bearded man, whose eyes she did not at all like, and who
began by telling her that he felt as if he had crossed the Rubicon,
and entering an Arcadia, had found a Parnassus.

Bessie looked to see whether the highly-educated young lady detected
the malaprop for the Helicon, but Arthurine was either too well-bred
or too much exalted to notice either small slips, or even bad taste,
and she stood smiling and blushing complacently. However, just then
Susan hurried up. 'Bessie, you are wanted. Here's a card. The
gentleman sent it in, and papa asked me to find you.'

Bessie opened her eyes. The card belonged to the editor of one of
the most noted magazines of the day, but one whose principles she
did not entirely approve. What could be coming?

Her father was waiting for her.

'Well, Miss Bessie,' he said, laughing, 'Jane said the gentleman was
very urgent in wanting to know when you would be in. An offer, eh?'

'Perhaps it is an offer, but not of _THAT_ sort,' said Bessie, and
she explained what the unliterary Admiral had not understood. He
answered with a whistle.

'Shall you do it, Bessie?'

'I think not,' she said quietly.

The editor was found waiting for her, with many apologies for
bringing her home, and the Admiral was so delighted with his
agreeableness as hardly to be able to tear himself away to bring
home his wife.

The offer was, as Bessie expected, of excellent terms for a serial
story--terms that proved to her what was her own value, and in which
she saw education for her sister Anne's eldest boy.

'Of course, there wou