e both considered beauties. Did he know anything more of
her?"

"No; nothing more."

"There must have been some casual likeness I suppose." Mrs. Askerton
was a clever woman, and had by this time almost recovered her
self-possession. Then there came a ring at the front door, and in
another minute Mr. Belton was in the room. Mrs. Askerton felt that it
was imperative on her to make some allusion to the conversation which
had just taken place, and dashed at the subject at once. "Clara tells
me that I am exactly like some old friend of yours, Mr. Belton."

Then he looked at her closely as he answered her. "I have no right to
say that she was my friend, Mrs. Askerton," he said; "indeed there
was hardly what might be called an acquaintance between us; but you
certainly are extremely like a certain Miss Vigo that I remember."

"I often wonder that one person isn't more often found to be like
another," said Mrs. Askerton.

"People often are like," said he; "but not like in such a way as to
give rise to mistakes as to identity. Now, I should have stopped you
in the street and called you Mrs. Berdmore."

"Didn't I once see or hear the name of Berdmore in this house?" asked
Clara.

Then that look of pain returned. Mrs. Askerton had succeeded in
recovering the usual tone of her countenance, but now she was once
more disturbed. "I think I know the name," said she.

"I fancy that I have seen it in this house," said Clara.

"You may more likely have heard it, my dear. My memory is very poor,
but if I remember rightly, Colonel Askerton did know a Captain
Berdmore,--a long while ago, before he was married; and you may
probably have heard him mention the name." This did not quite satisfy
Clara, but she said nothing more about it then. If there was a
mystery which Mrs. Askerton did not wish to have explored, why should
she explore it?

Soon after this Clara got up to go, and Mrs. Askerton, making another
attempt to be cheerful, was almost successful. "So you're going back
into Norfolk on Saturday, Clara tells me. You are making a very short
visit now that you're come among us."

"It is a long time for me to be away from home. Farmers can hardly
ever dare to leave their work. But in spite of my farm, I am talking
of coming here again about Christmas."

"But you are going to have a farming establishment here too?"

"That will be nothing. Clara will look after that for me; will you
not?" Then they went, and Belton had to cons