said Bessie.

"Ah, well, then, they must be better company."

Bessie was silent a moment. "That is one of the things I don't like
about England," she said; "your keeping the distinguished people apart."

"How do you mean apart?"

"Why, letting them come only to certain places. You never see them."

Lord Lambeth looked at her a moment. "What people do you mean?"

"The eminent people--the authors and artists--the clever people."

"Oh, there are other eminent people besides those," said Lord Lambeth.

"Well, you certainly keep them apart," repeated the young girl.

"And there are other clever people," added Lord Lambeth simply.

Bessie Alden looked at him, and she gave a light laugh. "Not many," she
said.

On another occasion--just after a dinner party--she told him that there
was something else in England she did not like.

"Oh, I say!" he cried, "haven't you abused us enough?"

"I have never abused you at all," said Bessie; "but I don't like your
PRECEDENCE."

"It isn't my precedence!" Lord Lambeth declared, laughing.

"Yes, it is yours--just exactly yours; and I think it's odious," said
Bessie.

"I never saw such a young lady for discussing things! Has someone had
the impudence to go before you?" asked his lordship.

"It is not the going before me that I object to," said Bessie; "it
is their thinking that they have a right to do it--A RIGHT THAT I
RECOGNIZE."

"I never saw such a young lady as you are for not 'recognizing.' I have
no doubt the thing is BEASTLY, but it saves a lot of trouble."

"It makes a lot of trouble. It's horrid," said Bessie.

"But how would you have the first people go?" asked Lord Lambeth. "They
can't go last."

"Whom do you mean by the first people?"

"Ah, if you mean to question first principles!" said Lord Lambeth.

"If those are your first principles, no wonder some of your arrangements
are horrid," observed Bessie Alden with a very pretty ferocity. "I am a
young girl, so of course I go last; but imagine what Kitty must feel on
being informed that she is not at liberty to budge until certain other
ladies have passed out."

"Oh, I say, she is not 'informed!'" cried Lord Lambeth. "No one would do
such a thing as that."

"She is made to feel it," the young girl insisted--"as if they were
afraid she would make a rush for the door. No; you have a lovely
country," said Bessie Alden, "but your precedence is horrid."

"I certainly shouldn't think your sister would like