o come here,
though he knows that Rosy and the boys are with me. I should not have
had any right to complain had he denied us your visit."

"But I should have had a right to complain, and I should have
complained," said Bessie. "My grandfather and I are friends now, because
I have plucked up courage to assert my right to respect myself and my
friends who brought me up; otherwise we must have quarrelled soon."

Mr. Laurence Fairfax smiled: "My father can be obstinately unforgiving.
So he was to my brother Geoffry and his wife; so he may be to me, though
we have never had a disagreement."

"I could fancy that he was sometimes sorry for his unkindness to my
father. I shall not submit if he attempt to forbid me your house or the
joy of seeing my little cousins. Oh, his heart must soften to them soon.
I am glad he saw Justus, the darling!"

Bessie Fairfax had evidently no worldly ambition. All her desire was
still only to be loved. Her uncle Laurence admired her unselfishness,
and before she left his house at the week's end he had her confidence
entirely. He did not place too much reliance on her recollections of
Beechhurst as the place where she had centred her affections, for young
affections are prone to weave a fine gossamer glamour about early days
that will not bear the touch of later experience; but he was sure there
had been a blunder in bringing her into Woldshire without giving her a
pause amongst those scenes where her fond imagination dwelt, if only to
sweep it clear of illusions and make room for new actors on the stage of
her life. He said to Mr. Cecil Burleigh, with whom he had an important
conversation during her visit to Minster Court, that he did not believe
she would ever give her mind to settling amongst her north-country
kindred until she had seen again her friends in the Forest, and Mr.
Cecil Burleigh began to agree with him. Miss Burleigh did the same.

It was settled already that the recent disclosure must make no
alteration in the family compact. Mr. Cecil Burleigh interposed a firm
veto when its repeal was hinted at. Every afternoon, one excepted, he
called on Miss Fairfax to report the progress of his canvass,
accompanied by his sister, and Bessie always expressed herself glad in
his promising success. But it was with a cool cheek and candor shining
clear in her blue eyes that she saw them come and saw them go; and both
brother and sister felt this discouraging. The one fault they found in
Mis