la, her lips twitching
nervously, "mamma will be astonished to hear of these new laurels for
the family. I congratulate you, Valerie; I never knew you dreamt of
writing, much less of making so public a debut."

"Nor should I ever have been able to do so unless my way had been
pioneered for me," said Valerie, resting her eyes fondly on Waldemar.

He stayed ten minutes longer, chatting on indifferent subjects, then
left, making poor little Val happy with a touch of his hand, and a smile
as "kind" as of old.

"You horrid, deceitful little thing!" began Bella, bursting with fury,
as the door closed on him, "never to mention what you were doing. I
can't bear such sly people I hate----"

"My dear Bella, don't disturb yourself," said Valerie, quietly; "if you
had testified any interest in my doings, you might have known them; as
it was, I was glad to find warmer and kinder friends."

"In Waldemar Falkenstein, I suppose," sneered Bella, white with rage. "A
nice friend you have, certainly; a man whom everybody knows may go to
prison for debt any day."

"Leave him alone," said Valerie haughtily; "unless you speak well of
him, in my presence, you shall not speak at all."

"Oh, indeed," laughed Bella, nervously; "how very much interested you
are in him! more than he is in you, I'm afraid, dear. He's famed for
loving and leaving. Pray how long has this romantic affair been on the
tapis?"

"He's met her every day in the Gardens," cried Julius Adolphus, just
come in with that fatal apropos of "enfans terribles," much oftener the
result of mechancete than of innocence; "he's met her every day, Bella,
while I fed the ducks."

Bella rose, inflated with fury, and summoning all her dignity:

"I suppose, Valerie, you know the sort of reputation you will get
through these morning assignations."

Valerie bent over Spit with a smile.

"Of course, it is nothing to _me_," continued Bella, spitefully; "but I
shall consider it my duty to inform mamma."

Valerie fairly laughed out.

"Do your duty, by all means."

"And," continued Bella, a third time, "I dare say she will find some
means to put a stop to this absurd friendship with an unmarried and
unprincipled man."

Valerie was roused; she lifted her head like a little Pythoness, and her
blue eyes flashed angry scorn.

"Tell your mamma what you please, but--listen to me, Bella--if you
venture to harm him in any way with your pitiful venom, I, girl as I am,
will never let you