racious to his son and his son's wife and children,
and Bessie, on her uncle Laurence's advice, refrained from mentioning
them any more. Old Jonquil alone had greater courage.

One evening the squire, after lying long silent, broke out with, "Poor
Fred is gone!" the first spontaneous allusion to his loss that he had
made.

Jonquil hastened to him. "My dear master, my dear master!" he lamented.
"Oh, sir, you have but one son now! forgive him, and let the little boys
come home--for your own sake, dear master."

"They will come home, as you call it, when I follow poor Fred. My son
Laurence stands in no need of forgiveness--he has done me no wrong.
Strange women and children would be in my way; they are better where
they are." Thus had the squire once answered every plea on behalf of his
son Geoffry. Jonquil remembered very well, and held his peace, sighing
as one without hope.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

_DIPLOMATIC._

Bessie Fairfax gave up her visit to the Forest of her own accord in her
pitying reluctance to leave her grandfather. She wrote to Lady Latimer,
and to her mother more at length. They were disappointed, but not
surprised.

"Now they will prove what she is--a downright good girl, not an atom of
selfishness about her," said Mr. Carnegie to his wife with tender
triumph.

"Yes, God bless her! Bessie will wear well in trouble, but I am very
wishful to see her, and hear her own voice about that gentleman Lady
Latimer talked of." Lady Latimer had made a communication to the
doctor's wife respecting Mr. Cecil Burleigh.

Mr. Carnegie had nothing to advise. He felt tolerably sure that Bessie
would tell her mother every serious matter that befell her, and as she
had not mentioned this he drew the inference that it was not serious.

The first warm days of summer saw Mr. Fairfax out again, walking in the
garden with a stick and the support of his granddaughter's shoulder. She
was an excellent and patient companion, he said. Indeed, Bessie could
forget herself entirely in another's want, and since this claim for care
and helpfulness had been made upon her the tedium of life oppressed her
no more. It was thus that Mr. Cecil Burleigh next saw her again. He had
taken his seat in the House, and had come down to Brentwood for a few
days; and when he called to visit his old friend, Jonquil sent him round
to the south terrace, where Mr. Fairfax was walking with Bessie in the
sun.

In her black dress Bessie looked tall