was his custom with a younger man; and Nelly came
gushingly to confide in me the first night of his arrival: 'I like him
awfully, Hilda! He is so different to most of Hugh's friends. They
seem so hard and cynical, and have such a contempt for women, I always
fancy. Mr. Stanton takes as much trouble to talk to me as he does to
father, and he is awfully good-looking!'

One evening, soon after he arrived, General and Mrs. Forsyth and
Constance wore dining out. A Miss Willoughby and her brother were
staying in the house; they were cousins of the Forsyths, and had
returned from London with them, but I had always kept away from them,
as Miss Willoughby's manner and ways grated on me. She seemed utterly
devoid of all religion, and was always ready to scoff and jeer at
serious subjects. She was a clever woman of the world, and looked upon
me as a mere child.

As we were in the drawing-room together, before the gentlemen joined us
after dinner, she called to me from her seat by the fire, 'Come here,
you little piece of innocence, I want to talk to you; why do you always
creep into a remote corner of the room away from everybody? Is it
modesty, or misanthropy, that drives you from your fellow-creatures?'

'Neither,' I said, as I slowly moved towards the fireplace and took a
seat near her. 'Nelly was entertaining you, so you did not require me.'

'But I do want you. I think you could be far more entertaining than
Nelly here, because you have taken up an original role, and I like
originality.'

I made no reply. There was a mischievous light in her eyes which
warned me she meant to enjoy herself at my expense.

She lay back in her chair, put up her pince-nez, and regarded me for
some minutes in silence. Then she gave a mock sigh.

'I don't see the halo, Nelly; it ought to be there--round her head, you
know. I hope she isn't a sham saint!'

'You shall not tease her,' Nelly said warmly; 'she gets quite enough of
that from Kenneth without your taking it up.'

'My dear child, I have no intention of teasing her. I would not
presume to do so on such short acquaintance. Beyond "Good-night" and
"Good-morning," I don't believe Miss Thorn and I have exchanged half a
dozen words. We are going to converse agreeably together now, if you
will allow us.'

'I don't think we shall find that we have much in common, Miss
Willoughby,' I said, trying to speak pleasantly.

'I dare say not. I am a wicked sinner according to y