rew her down upon his knee, and stroking her hair,
said to her:

"Good little Bessie, what should I do without you? You are very lovely
to-night in your finery. Are you glad Neil is coming?"

"Yes, very glad," Bessie replied, blushing a little. "Very glad for
Neil, but I do not think I want that American here, too. I wish Neil had
left him from the programme."

"Oh, yes; I remember you told me that Neil said he was coming. They are
great friends, I believe," Archie said. Then, after a moment, he
continued: "I dare say he is a gentleman. You may like him very much."

"No, I shall not," Bessie rejoined, tapping the floor impatiently with
her boot, whose shabbiness French blacking could not wholly conceal, "I
shall be civil to him, of course, as Neil's friend, but I would rather
he did not come, spoiling everything. I see Neil so seldom that I want
him all to myself when he is here. He is the only cousin I have, you
know."

For a moment Archie was silent, and when at last he spoke, he said:

"Bessie, don't think too much of Neil. As I told you once in London, so
I tell you now. He is too selfish by nature, and too ambitious to care
particularly for anything which cannot advance his interests. He likes
you very much, no doubt, and if you had a fortune, I dare say he would
seek to make you his wife; but as you have not he will marry Blanche
Trevellian, who has."

"Yes, he will marry Blanche," Bessie said, softly, and the old, tired,
sorry look crept into her eyes and deepened about her mouth as she
thought: "If I had a fortune! Oh, that _if_! What a big one it is in my
case. And yet it is impressed upon me that somewhere in the world there
_is_ a fortune awaiting me; very far from here, it may be, but still
somewhere; but then, Neil will be gone before I get it, and I shall not
care."

And as it had done more than once before, a sharp pain cut through
Bessie's heart as she thought what life would be with Neil making no
part of it. So absorbed had she and her father been that neither of them
had heard the train as it glided swiftly by, but when, after a few
moments had elapsed, there was the stamping of feet outside, and a
cheery call to the house dog, who had set up a welcome bark, Bessie
sprang from her father's knee, exclaiming:

"That's Neil; he has come, and I am so glad."

She was out in the hall by this time, waiting expectantly, while Anthony
opened the door admitting Neil, who kissed Bessie twice, and tol