d gone to
meet to pay them a visit for some weeks as soon as they returned to
their own abode, which they were to do in about a week.

One circumstance, however, occurred the same day which rather
counterbalanced the pleasure with which I received this intelligence.
Young Master Frank on leaving school had gone to pay a visit to a
school-fellow, but a letter had arrived from him that morning to say
that he would be home the next day. Now his arrival and consequent
occupation of the room between Laura's and mine threatened to prevent
the constant agreeable intercourse which I had expected to be able to
keep up with her during her aunt's absence.

I felt very much annoyed at the idea, and urged her, if possible, to
get some arrangement made by which he might occupy some other
apartment. She said, however, that she was afraid to make any such
proposal to her mother for fear of exciting suspicions as to her
object, or of occasioning my removal to another room, which would be
equally destructive for our projects.

On the whole she took the matter so quietly and coolly that I was
rather astonished, considering the enjoyment she evidently had in our
intercourse. A little annoyed at this, I made up my mind that if my
young friend retained any portion of the youthful beauty I remembered
him to possess, I would endeavour if possible to make up in his arms
for the enjoyment he would deprive me of by keeping me out of his
sister's.

His first appearance at once decided me to follow out the idea that had
occurred to me. Some years younger than his sister and just of that
delightful age when the passions of manhood have begun to exert their
influence on the senses but before they have taken away the attractive
and charming bloom and graces of youth, he was, if possible, more
captivating than his sister. Indeed, when upon one occasion I dressed
him up as a girl, it was almost impossible to distinguish between them
and he might easily have passed for her even among her intimate
acquaintances. We became good friends at once. When the ladies left the
table after dinner, I made a sign to him to come over beside me, and he
was very soon communicating to me all his secrets. I easily led him to
talk of his school-fellows and their amusements, and when the party
rose to join the ladies he was in the midst of the details of the
history of one of the elder boys to whom a married lady had taken a
fancy at a house where he had been visiting,