ough she is such a cross old thing. Now, Bessie--I am
going to call you Bessie, and I beg you to lay aside the stiff Miss
Sefton--you must tell me if I can lend you anything, or help you in any
way. And you are not to trouble about making yourself smart, for we have
no one coming to dinner to-day, and I shall only put on an old dress. We
are in the country now, and I don't mean to waste my fine London gowns
on Richard, who calls every material dimity, and never knows whether one
is dressed in velvet or sackcloth."

Bessie smiled, and then asked if she might use any of the flowers on her
toilet-table.

"My dear child, just look behind you," was the amused answer; and Bessie
saw a breast-knot of lovely crimson roses on the writing-table. "Those
are for your use to-night, but if you will let me know every morning
what color you want for the evening, I will tell Brandon."

As Bessie was unpacking, she heard a faint scratching at her door, and
on opening it found, to her great surprise, Mac, the deerhound, sitting
on his haunches, with a very pleading look in his beautiful brown eyes.

"You may come in if you like, old fellow," she said, wondering at
his sudden friendship for a stranger; and, sure enough, the hound walked
in and stretched himself under the writing-table, with his nose between
his paws, quietly observant of every movement.

When Bessie had finished her unpacking, she proceeded to brush out her
bright, brown hair, and arrange it in her usual simple fashion. Then she
put on the dress of cream-colored nun's veiling, which was cut square
and trimmed with her mother's lace; and when she had clasped the pearls
round her neck, and had pinned on her roses, she felt she had never been
so well dressed in her life; and, indeed, the girl's freshness and
sweet expression made her very pleasant to look upon.

Bessie was sitting at the window thinking of Hatty when Edna entered,
looking like a young princess to her dazzled eyes. The old gown proved
to be a delicate blue silk, and was trimmed in a costly fashion, and she
wore at her throat a locket with a diamond star. As she came sweeping
into the room, with her long train and fair coronet of hair, she looked
so graceful and so handsome that Bessie uttered an admiring exclamation.

"Oh, don't look at me!" observed Edna rather pettishly. "I have told
Brandon I really must discard this gown; it is getting too bad even for
quiet evenings."

"I think it lovely," returne