ts place.
Miss Allison was not over-shrewd. She was frankness, guilelessness
itself. She rarely saw through the meanness of man or the duplicity of
woman. This, however, was not the first, but the second or third time
that Mr. Elmendorf had been revealed behind those curtains when she was
in conversation in the parlor, and it dawned upon her at last that
Cary's tutor was as good a listener as talker, and there were times when
Mr. Elmendorf was fluency itself. He was a shrewd fellow, too, and he
read his sentence in her face.

"Miss Allison," said he, quitting his search and stepping boldly
forward, "it would be idle in me to disguise, that I have unwittingly
heard a portion of the conversation between your aunt and yourself; and,
as your brother's friend and tutor, your father's trusted adviser in
many a way, both professional and personal,--indeed, if I may say so
without offence, as one who would gladly be your friend,--I feel bound
to support Mrs. Lawrence in the view she takes of this--pardon
me--unfortunate matter."

"Mr. Elmendorf!" interrupted Miss Allison, with eyes and cheeks aflame.

"Bear with me one moment," persisted Mr. Elmendorf, with deprecatory
gesture. "I am aware that I have not possessed your friendship in the
past; indeed, I may say I have been conscious of a distinctly hostile
influence; but my devotion to your father and your brother and the
interests of the family and all that may affect its good name make it
mandatory upon me to speak. I appeal to Mrs. Lawrence to support me in
my assertion that I am prompted only by the worthiest motives in thus
apparently intrusively, officiously if you will, claiming your
attention." Mrs. Lawrence bowed grave assent. She had many a time
expressed her disapprobation of Mr. Elmendorf's propensity to interfere
in domestic matters wherein he had no concern, but here was a case where
unlooked-for support was accorded her side of an unfinished argument.
Mrs. Lawrence considered all comment of Mr. Elmendorf on her affairs as
utterly unwarrantable, but poor Flo really laid herself open to
criticism.

It was Miss Allison who brought matters to a climax. "I refuse to
listen," said she, with something very like a stamp of her plump little
foot. "Mr. Elmendorf forgets himself entirely when he attempts to--to
criticise my conduct."

"Pardon me, Miss Allison, it is not your conduct, it is, on the
contrary, Mr. Forrest's, that I consider deserving criticism,--more tha