distinguishing his voice in the
distance, and watching for the one and the other. Why not? He was so
pleasant as a companion. But she found herself also starting when he
appeared suddenly, thrilled at the unexpected sound of his voice, and
conscious of quickened pulses when he came into the room. Betty did not
like these signs in herself; at the same time, that which had wrought
the spell continued to work, and the spell was not broken. In justice
to the young lady, I must say that there was not the slightest outward
token of it. Betty was as utterly calm and careless in her manner as
Pitt himself; so that even Mrs. Dallas--and a woman in those matters
sees far--could not tell whether either or both of the young people had
a liking for the other more than the social good-fellowship which was
frank and apparent. It might be, and she confessed also to herself that
it might not be.

'You must give that fellow time,' said her husband. Which Mrs. Dallas
knew, if she had not been so much in a hurry.

'If he met those Gainsboroughs by chance, I would not answer for
anything,' she said.

'How should he meet them? They are probably as poor as rats, and have
drawn into some corner, out of the way. He will never see them.'

'Pitt is so persistent!' said Mrs. Dallas uneasily.

'He'll be back in England in a few weeks.'

'But when he comes again!'

'He shall not come again. We will go over to see him ourselves next
year.'

'That is a very good thought,' said Mrs. Dallas.

And, comforted by this thought and the plans she presently began to
weave in with it, she looked now with much more equanimity than Betty
herself towards the end of Pitt's visit. Mrs. Dallas, however, was not
to get off without another shock to her nerves.

It was early in September, and the weather of that sultry, hot, and
moist character which we have learned to look for in connection with
the first half of that month. Miss Frere's embroidery went languidly;
possibly there might have been more reasons than one for the slow and
spiritless movement of her fingers, which was quite contrary to their
normal habit. Mrs. Dallas, sitting at a little distance on the
verandah, was near enough to hear and observe what went on when Pitt
came upon the scene, and far enough to be separated from the
conversation unless she chose to mix in it. By and by he came, looking
thoughtful, as Betty saw, though she hardly seemed to notice his
approach. There was no token in