him," he answered, "only that there is no
need of my walking always so close to him as to be thrown into the
shade."

"No, there is not," she said, and glanced at the subject of their
conversation, who stood talking to Katie in the most absorbed way. Lady
Dacre comprehended the reason of Bulchester's present bitterness. But
neither imagined that it was the conversation, and not the talker, that
was interesting Edmonson. The girl was telling him bits of family
history which he professed with truth to find fascinating. He was
watching her, listening, smiling with his brightest look, speaking a
word or two occasionally to draw forth more information, and Katie, sure
that she was telling nothing too personal, went on, growing more
animated by her subject in seeing the absorption of her companion, which
in her heart she did not doubt came irom his desire to keep her talking
to him. Bulchester stopped a moment and drew nearer to his companion.

"When he looks like that," he said in her ear, "he is--he
is,--dangerous." He straightened himself directly and walked on. Sir
Temple spoke to Lady Dacre, and again Bulchester was left. But it might
have been Madam Archdale who took pity upon him, for at last he obtained
his introduction.

Why did Katie turn so readily from Edmonson to welcome the new-comer?
Was it coquetry? Did she know intuitively that the eyes of the latter
held more true worship for her than the other's tones? Edmonson's eyes
gleamed for a moment, and his face darkened. He looked at Bulchester
from head to foot, reading him with contempt. Then with a bow that had a
spice of mockery in it, as if he were amused at the rival whom he
appeared not to dare to compete with, he resigned his place, and going
up to Elizabeth, offered her his arm and moved away with her.

"Fate will be very kind to Stephen Archdale," he said as soon as they
were out of hearing, "should it substitute you for that young lady,
kinder to him than to you, since he was man enough to want her."

"You don't like Katie?" cried Elizabeth, ignoring the subject she shrank
from. "You are the first person I ever heard of who did not."

"Pardon me. I did not say that I did not like her. I was making a
comparison. She is an exceedingly pretty little puppet, and she goes
through all her little tricks, if I may call them so without
disparagement, with a delightful docility. After the clockwork is wound
up, it doesn't hitch, or stop, until it runs down. B