go, and it has been so pleasant since you came home last year, and I like you as if you were a big brother; but I have never thought of y

burst in

eceives himself and shuts his eyes to facts. You have certainly nothing to blame yourself about. Of course, it is a hard blow, but no doubt I shall get over it as other fellows do. At any rate, I know that we shall always be dear friends, and you need not fear that I shall mope over my

Bertha looked up,

ing, "I am so sorry, so dreadfully sorry. Frank Mallett has asked me to be h

nterference of a mother often does more harm than good. I felt sure, by your manner with him, that you had no idea of it; and I mu

nfortunately I do not love him-at least not in that way. He has never shown me what I should consider any particular attention, and never talked to me in the way men do when they are making love to a girl. Nothing could be nicer, and it was all the n

her feet, and who, I am sure from what I saw, only needed but little encouragement from you to be there. I was a little vexed, dear, you see, that you did not give any of them that encouragement; but I understand, of course, that the novelty of your first season carried you away altogether; and that you liked the dancing and the fetes and the opera f

you say, a peer with a good rent roll than a younger son without a penny, other things being equal; that is to

ale smiled,

l of your age and inexperience; but in time yo

Frank going to do? It is fortunate th

. We shall meet in town as usual, and I am sure that he will be just the same as he was before, and that I shall be a great deal

threatened to disturb all the plans she had formed, and she was well contented to learn that she had refused him. Lady Greendale was a thoroughly kind-hearted woman, but she could not forget that she herself might have

e old friendly and unceremonious way. It would have required an acute observer to see any difference in his manner to Bertha, but Lady Greendale noticed it, and the girl hersel

Bertha?" Mrs. Wilson asked one day, when

eft, after spend

! What put such an

t last autumn, I should not notice any change in your manner to each other? I had expected before

s as we always were," Berth

say that you have r

Major Mallett and I have always been great friends, and we

and I agreed that it was certain to come off, and thought how well suited you were to each other. Of course, in worldly respects, you might do better; just at present you have the ball at your feet; but choose where you may you will not find a finer fellow than he is.

ainly don't intend to answer. I should really feel very vexed, if I were not perfectly s

d as I am. In fact, he will have a small triumph over me, for after the usual manner of men he saw nothing on board the yacht, and has always maintained that it was pure fancy on my part. However, I won't tell anyo

ve my saying that I am disappointed

at you consulted me before you made your own matrimonial a

t advising or counselling. I am simply regretting, w

s parting sh

ason was a gay one, and she was enjoying herself greatly; the one little drop of bitterness in her cup being that she could no longer enjoy his visits as she formerly did. He had

her, nor made him her general confidant. She knew that he would be as ready as before to laugh and to sympathise, that he would still gladly execute her commissions, and she felt that he tried h

ttle of him, as he saw the news was really pleasant to her. She was not aware that it was a conversation that he had had the

ogether too young to take regularly to club life. It is all very well for an old fogey like me, b

hese crushes in hot rooms; I cannot for the life of me see where the p

nd her daughter is as nice a girl as I have come across for a long time, and without a scrap of nonsense about her. I wonder that she has not become engaged by this time. General Matthews, who, as you know, goes in a good deal for that sort of thing for the sake of his daughters, told me recently that he fancied from what he had heard that Miss Greendale's engagement was likely to be a settled thing before the season was over. He said there were three men makin

yond meeting him two or three times at dinners and so on last season. He was away when

y lucky on the turf, and

ides, many men do most of their real betting through commissioners, especially if they own horses themselves. H

that I was mistaken, as you were altogether too good chums for that to come about. I have often noticed that men and girls who are thrown a lot together are often capital friends, but,

urn to town until

lled to see them. "You may imagine with what interest I read the accounts of the yacht ra

ton, if the pilot had not cut matters too fine and run us aground just opposite Netley; we were a quarter of an hour befor

ed for the Quee

yet, but I am goin

to mamma, you know-has taken a house there for the month, and he i

all sorts of gaieties. I have not entered yet, but I am go

reendale said. "Haverley has a big schooner yacht, a

yself the pleasure of c

sprey does not win the cup. We regard ourselves as being, to some extent

will be several boats that have not raced yet this season, and as

k Hawley that it was reported that Lord Chilson and Geo

that he has got his conge too. I fancy Carthew is the favourite. As a rule I don't like these men who go in for racing, but he is a deuced-nice fellow. I have seen a good deal of him. He put me up to a good thing for

y himself?"

en to three or four of his suppers, and he told me that C

an second, didn't

s twenty to one agai

t give that tip as

the favourite went down the day before the race, from 5 to 4 on, to 10 to 1 against. There was a report about that he had gone wrong in some way. Some fellows said that there had been an

backed his

t had put five hundred on it for a place, and as he got

likely that Miss Gree

ery strong running, and if I were a betting man I shou

ch was lying off Portsmouth

id, as Lechmere met him at the station. "I have go

as he was removing the breakfast things. "You will excuse my asking

ill be sorry, too, when I tell you that it is more than pr

own on the table with a crash, and s

eendale. I had always thought so. Excuse me, sir, I don't mean any offence, but

nce she was a child, and she has never thought of me in any other way than as a sort of cousin-someone she liked very much, but had never thought of

hemently. "You can never let that sweet yo

I cannot prev

t. She knew, of course, of Martha's being missing, because it made quite a stir, but I don't suppose that she heard of her coming back. She was only at home three weeks before she died. There were not many that ever saw her, and father told me that he and th

would have the appearance of spite on my side; and besides, I have no proof whatever. He would, of course, deny the whole thing. I do not mean that he would deny that she said so-he could not do that-but he might declare that she had spoken falsely, and might even sa

o so, but it is impossible. If I had full and unquestionable proofs I would go to Lady Greendale and lay the ma

n expression of grim determ

r a pause; "but it seems to me hard that Miss Gr

ved. Up to that time he had stood in the position of an old friend of the family, and as such could well have spoken to Lady Greendale on a matter that so vitally concerned Bertha's happiness. Now his takin

ll put down my story as a piece of malice and meanness. But, after all, that will matter little. I had better far lose her liking and esteem than my own self respect. I will tell Lady Greendale about this. The responsibility will

to make a girl believe anything against the man she loves, until it can be proved beyond doubt, and as Carthew will of course indignantly deny that he had anything to do with it, I expect that it will have no effect

t would be better if anyone else could do it, but Lady Greendale has known you for so many years th

s not see it in that light I cannot help it. Well, I will go ashore to the clubh

ned he said t

ld that she has just come off the slips, and that she

very fast boat the few times she has been raced, but so have we, and taking the line thr

, but I have met Mr. Carthew a good many times, for we were at school and

turn the tables on

tious about it. I would give a good deal to beat him. I should like to win the Queen's Cup