out by degrees; she saw
at once, in general, that this must have been a favourite place of the
late owner, and that here he had collected a special assemblage of the
things that pleased him best. A table at one side must have been made,
she thought, about the same time with her chamber furniture, and by the
same hand. The floor was dark and polished, and on it lay here and
there bits of soft carpeting, which were well worn. Betty advanced
slowly to the corner where the party were siting, taking in the effect
of all this; then almost started as Pitt gave her a chair, to see in
the corner just beyond the group a stuffed bear showing his teeth at
her.

The father and mother had been talking about various matters at home,
and the talk went on. Betty presently left them, and began to examine
the sides of the room. She studied the bear, which was in an upright
position, resting one paw on a stick, while the other supported a lamp.
From the bear her eyes passed on to a fire-screen, which stood before
the empty chimney, and then she went to look at it nearer by. It was a
most exquisite thing. Two great panes of plate glass were so set in a
frame that a space of some three or four inches separated them. In this
space, in every variety of position, were suspended on invisible wires
some twenty humming birds, of different kinds; and whether the light
fell upon this screen in front or came through it from behind, the
display was in either case most beautiful and novel. Betty at last
wandered to the chimney-piece, and went no farther for a good while;
studying the rich carving and the coat of arms which was both
sculptured and painted in the midst of it. By and by she found that
Pitt was beside her.

'Mr. Strahan's?' she asked.

'No; they belonged to a former possessor of the house. It came into my
uncle's family by the marriage of his father.'

'It is very old?'

'Pretty old; that is, what in America we would call so. It reaches back
to the time of the Stuarts. Really that is not so long ago as it seems.'

'It is worth while to be old, if it gives one such a chimney-piece as
that. But I should not like another man's arms in it, if I were you.'

'Why not?'

'I don't know--I believe it diminishes the sense of possession.'

'A good thing, then,' said Pitt. 'Do you remember that "they that have"
are told to be "as though they possessed not"?'

'How can they?' answered Betty, looking at him.

'You know the words?'

'I s