more of himself. Bessie, you must not mind if my
mother is not quite pleased at first; she is an ambitious woman, and her
notions are very different from mine." Bessie did not answer for a
moment, and her silence seemed to alarm Richard.

"She is only my stepmother; I am my own master, Bessie."

"Yes, I know," in a low voice. "I was thinking about that last night. I
am afraid she will not like it, and it troubles me a little. We are not
rich, and----"

"What does that matter?" with a touch of impatience. "I thought you were
free from that sort of nonsense, Bessie."

"It does not matter to us," replied Bessie, with a slight emphasis on
the "us" that was exquisite to Richard's ear. "I am only speaking of
Mrs. Sefton; but she is not your own mother, and she has never made you
happy, and she has no right to prevent you pleasing yourself."

"That is spoken like a sensible girl. I must thank you for that speech.
Your father said much the same thing to me. 'You are your own master,'
he remarked, 'and your stepmother has no right to control your choice;
but, knowing her as I do, she will not be pleased.'"

"You will tell her as soon as possible, will you not--and Edna, too?"

"I will tell them this morning. You must leave everything to me. You
shall be subjected to no unpleasantness that I can prevent. And, Bessie,
I am going to take you down to Cliffe. I have made my mind up to that."

"Very well," she said, with a smile. And it was a new thing for Richard
to assert himself and meet with no contradiction; and as he looked at
the girl beside him, and met her clear, candid glance, his heart
swelled within him for very gratitude.

"It is getting late; we must go home now," observed Bessie, wondering a
little at his sudden silence.

"Yes, we will go home," he replied, rousing himself. "I was just
thinking, dear, what life will mean to me when I have you beside me."

CHAPTER XXIV.

IN THE COOMBE WOODS.

Breakfast was a more difficult affair than it had been on the preceding
morning, and Edna, who was very quick-witted, soon saw there was
something amiss with Bessie; but she was a kind-hearted girl, and she
threw herself with such animation into the conversation that Bessie's
silence was unnoticed.

When the meal was finished Bessie withdrew to her room, and Edna would
have followed her, but just then Richard came in, and begged her in a
low voice to get rid of Miss Shelton for half an hour, as he wanted to