calmed Betty's heart-beating; at the same time it gave her a great
thrill of pain. Pitt was himself so frank and so quiet, she said to
herself, there was no occasion for her to fear anything in his
thoughts; his greeting of her was entirely cordial and friendly. He was
neither surprised nor displeased to see her. At the same time, while
this was certainly comforting, Pitt looked too composedly happy for
Betty's peace of mind. Apparently he needed neither her nor
anybody;--'Do men ever?' said Betty to herself bitterly. And besides,
there was in his face and manner a nobleness and a pureness which at
one blow drove home, as it were, the impressions of the last year. Such
a look she had never seen on any face in her life; _except_--yes, there
was one exception, and the thought sent another pang of pain through
her. But women do not show what they feel; and Pitt, if he noticed Miss
Frere at all, saw nothing but the well-bred quiet which always belonged
to Betty's demeanour. He was busy with his mother.

'This is a pleasure, to have you here!' he was saying heartily.

'I thought we should have seen you last night. My letter was in time.
Didn't you get it?'

'It went to my chambers in the Temple; and I was not there.'

'Where were you?'

'At Kensington.'

'At Kensington! With Mr. Strahan.'

'Not with Mr. Strahan,' said Pitt gravely. 'I have been with him a
great deal these last weeks. You got my letter in which I told you he
was ill?'

'Yes, and that you were nursing him.'

'Then you did _not_ get my letter telling of the end of his illness?
You left home before it arrived.'

'You do not mean that uncle Strahan is dead?'

'It is a month ago, and more. But there is nothing to regret, mother.
He died perfectly happy.'

Mrs. Dallas passed over this sentence, which she did not like, and
asked abruptly,--

'Then what were you doing at Kensington?'

'There was business. I have been obliged to give some time to it. You
will be as much surprised as I was, to learn that my old uncle has left
all he had in the world to me.'

'To you!' Mrs. Dallas did not utter a scream of delight, or embrace her
son, or do anything that many women would have done in honour of the
occasion; but her head took a little loftier set upon her shoulders,
and in her cheeks rose a very pretty rosy flush.

'I am not surprised in the least,' she said. 'I do not see how he could
have done anything else; but I did not know the old gentleman ha