rd him, but I don't know him," she replied.
"There must be something in him that one does not see at first."

"So I have discovered," said The Duke, and with that the subject was
dropped, but not before the Lady Charlotte made me promise to take her
to Gwen, The Duke being strangely unwilling to do this for her.

"You'll be disappointed," he said. "She is only a simple little child."

But Lady Charlotte thought differently, and, having made up her mind
upon the matter, there was nothing for it, as her husband said, but "for
all hands to surrender and the sooner the better."

And so the Lady Charlotte had her way, which, as it turned out, was much
the wisest and best.

CHAPTER XIX

THROUGH GWEN'S WINDOW

When I told The Pilot of Lady Charlotte's purpose to visit Gwen, he was
not too well pleased.

"What does she want with Gwen?" he said impatiently. "She will just put
notions into her head and make the child discontented."

"Why should she?" said I.

"She won't mean to, but she belongs to another world, and Gwen cannot
talk to her without getting glimpses of a life that will make her long
for what she can never have," said The Pilot.

"But suppose it is not idle curiosity in Lady Charlotte," I suggested.

"I don't say it is quite that," he answered, "but these people love a
sensation."

"I don't think you know Lady Charlotte," I replied. "I hardly think from
her tone the other night that she is a sensation hunter."

"At any rate," he answered, decidedly, "she is not to worry poor Gwen."

I was a little surprised at his attitude, and felt that he was unfair to
Lady Charlotte, but I forbore to argue with him on the matter. He could
not bear to think of any person or thing threatening the peace of his
beloved Gwen.

The very first Saturday after my promise was given we were surprised
to see Lady Charlotte ride up to the door of our shack in the early
morning.

"You see, I am not going to let you off," she said, as I greeted her.
"And the day is so very fine for a ride."

I hastened to apologize for not going to her, and then to get out of my
difficulty, rather meanly turned toward The Pilot, and said:

"The Pilot doesn't approve of our visit."

"And why not, may I ask?" said Lady Charlotte, lifting her eyebrows.

The Pilot's face burned, partly with wrath at me, and partly with
embarrassment; for Lady Charlotte had put on her grand air. But he stood
to his guns.

"I was saying, Lady Charlot