tterness. It was such an
ordinary occurrence for Adele to be admired that she did not fully
grasp what it meant to her niece in the present instance. Then, too,
Beatrice had always seemed to join in the admiration of her cousin so
warmly that the lady was astonished at her feeling.

"I do not see why you should exhibit so much emotion over a simple
occurrence," she continued after a moment. "It was a thing that might
happen to anyone, and you are exaggerating the importance of it. Think
no more about it, but make yourself so lovable that no one will care
whether you are pretty or not. It lies in your power to win your
father's affection, but it can not be done by continuing in your present
frame of mind." And Bee found herself dismissed.

Soon afterward good-byes were said, and the girl's anguish increased as
she saw how reluctant her father seemed to bid Adele farewell. To the
young all things are tragic, and this which had befallen seemed nothing
short of a calamity to Bee. At length, however, they were gone, and then
Doctor Raymond turned to his daughter with a smile:

"Well, Beatrice, we are to have the house to ourselves, it appears. I
presume that you have some studies, or some way by which you can amuse
yourself for a few days. I shall be very busy for a time preparing
reports, and arranging my specimens for the university; after which I
shall be at liberty to make my little girl's acquaintance."

William Raymond did not mean to be cruel; but he was a scientist much
absorbed in his work. He did have a great deal before him. Perhaps too
he was not quite at ease with himself for the warmth which he had
discovered toward his niece; perhaps, too, there lurked in his heart a
faint feeling of disappointment that his daughter was not the lovely
girl who had left in place of this silent, sullen appearing maiden who
returned a passive:

"Very well, father."

Poor Bee! She had studied butterflies, her father's specialty, on
purpose to surprise him. She had thought that he would let her be with
him when he unpacked the rare specimens which he had obtained abroad,
and she had pictured the delightful chats they would enjoy together.

The reality was so different from the anticipation that her heart
swelled with the injustice of the thing, and she wept until the fountain
of her tears was dry. The housekeeping which was to have been her
pleasure served now to distract her mind. She threw herself into it with
so much fer