?" said George. "Of course you'll
tell the truth?"

"Oh, of course," said Harcourt, with his mind duly made up to praise
her.

"You haven't the pluck to find fault with her," said George; "you
would be afraid not to call her handsome, even if you thought her as
ugly as Hecate."

"Exactly," said Harcourt; "and therefore these little experimentary
trips are never of any use."

CHAPTER XV.

MR. HARCOURT'S VISIT TO LITTLEBATH.

During the whole of the winter and spring, George's attention to
his work had been unremitting. Mr. Die was always prophesying still
greater things, and still greater. Once a fortnight, on every other
Saturday, Bertram had gone down to Littlebath, but he had always
returned to London by the first train on Monday morning, and was
always up to his elbows in law, even on that morning, before eleven.

During the whole of this time, he had not once seen his uncle,
although Miss Baker had softly endeavoured to talk him into visiting
Hadley. "I never go there without being asked," he had said. "It is
quite understood between us."

He had made but one excursion out of London, except those to
Littlebath, and that had been to Hurst Staple. Mr. Wilkinson had died
very suddenly, as has been told, about the end of the winter, and
Bertram had of course not been able to see him. Arthur Wilkinson had
then been quickly put into the living, and as soon as he had taken
up his residence in the parsonage, Bertram had gone down. This visit
had been made before the last walk to West Putford; but even then the
young barrister had found the young vicar in rather a plaintive mood.
Wilkinson, however, had said nothing of his love, and George was too
much occupied with talking of his own heart to think much of his
cousin's.

Miss Gauntlet--I hope the reader has not altogether forgotten Adela
Gauntlet--had also an aunt living at Littlebath, Miss Penelope
Gauntlet; and it so happened, that very shortly after that memorable
walk and the little scene that took place in the West Putford
drawing-room, Adela visited her aunt. Bertram, who had known her well
when they were children together, had not yet seen her there; indeed,
her arrival had taken place since his last visit; but there she was,
staying with Miss Penelope Gauntlet, when he and Harcourt went down
to Littlebath together.

Caroline and Adela had for years been friends. Not bosom friends,
perhaps; that is, they did not correspond three times a week, e