wisely
determined to devote the few remaining days of his life to the rearing
of his little daughter, then a child seven years of age.

Old Bertram loved and spoiled the infant as none but an old man can
love or spoil his only child, who is besides the offspring of his age.
He would not part with her to send her to school; but he himself became
her instructor until she was more than ten years old.

After that, as she began to approach womanhood, he engaged a succession
of governesses, each one of whom excessively annoyed him by persistently
trying to marry him for his money, and who consequently got herself
politely dismissed.

Next he tried a succession of tutors, but this second plan worked even
worse than the first; for each one of the tutors in his turn tried to
marry the heiress for the fortune, and, naturally enough, got himself
kicked out of the house.

So the plan of home education prospered badly. Perhaps old Bertram had
been singularly unfortunate in his selection of teachers. It must have
been so indeed, since he had been accustomed to say that "they all were
as bad as they could be; and each one was worse than all the rest."

Thus the literary training of the heiress had been carried on in the
most capricious, fitful and irregular manner, the worst suited to her,
who more than most girls required the discipline of a firm and steady
rule.

The educational result to her was a very superficial knowledge of
literature, arts, and sciences, and a very imperfect acquaintance with
ancient and modern languages.

She was in the habit of saying sarcastically, that "she had an utter
confusion of ideas on the subjects of algebra, astronomy, and all the
other branches of a polite education;" that, for instance, she never
could remember whether the "Pons Asinorum" were a plant or a problem, or
if it was Napoleon Bonaparte that discovered America and Christopher
Columbus who lost the battle of Waterloo, or _vice versa_.

And after all, this was but a trifling exaggeration of the neglected
condition of her mind.

CHAPTER III.

SYBIL BERNERS.

"All that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eye."

Sybil Berners was at this time about eighteen years of age--a beautiful,
black-haired, bright-eyed little brunette, full of fire, spirit,
strength, and self-will. She was a law to herself. No o