if you don't acquire it when you are young you
never have it at all. She was so happy to think I should come to Baden;
but she would n't approve of the life I 've been leading the last four
days. That 's no way to acquire ease of manner--sitting all day in a
small parlor with two persons of one's own sex! Of course Mrs. Vivian's
influence--that 's the great thing. Mamma said it was like the odor of
a flower. But you don't want to keep smelling a flower all day, even
the sweetest; that 's the shortest way to get a headache. Apropos of
flowers, do you happen to have heard whether Captain Lovelock is alive
or dead? Do I call him a flower? No; I call him a flower-pot. He always
has some fine young plant in his button-hole. He has n't been near me
these ten years--I never heard of anything so rude!"

Captain Lovelock came on the morrow, Bernard finding him in Mrs.
Vivian's little sitting-room on paying a second visit. On this occasion
the two other ladies were at home and Bernard was not exclusively
indebted to Miss Evers for entertainment. It was to this source of
hospitality, however, that Lovelock mainly appealed, following the
young girl out upon the little balcony that was suspended above the
confectioner's window. Mrs. Vivian sat writing at one of the windows of
the sitting-room, and Bernard addressed his conversation to Angela.

"Wright requested me to keep an eye on you," he said; "but you seem very
much inclined to keep out of my jurisdiction."

"I supposed you had gone away," she answered--"now that your friend is
gone."

"By no means. Gordon is a charming fellow, but he is by no means the
only attraction of Baden. Besides, I have promised him to look after
you--to take care of you."

The girl looked at him a moment in silence--a little askance.

"I thought you had probably undertaken something of that sort," she
presently said.

"It was of course a very natural request for Gordon to make."

Angela got up and turned away; she wandered about the room and went and
stood at one of the windows. Bernard found the movement abrupt and
not particularly gracious; but the young man was not easy to snub. He
followed her, and they stood at the second window--the long window that
opened upon the balcony. Miss Evers and Captain Lovelock were leaning on
the railing, looking into the street and apparently amusing themselves
highly with what they saw.

"I am not sure it was a natural request for him to make," said Angela.