e; she makes me cry my eyes out sometimes. And as for
Neville, as I told you, we have not an idea in common. I think perfect
agreement must be rather monotonous and deadening. I am sure if Neville
were to say to me, 'My dear Edna, you are always right, and I agree with
you in everything,' I should be ready to box his ears. It is much more
amusing to quarrel half a dozen times a day, and make it up again. Oh, I
do dearly love to provoke Neville; he looks so deliciously bored and
grave."

Bessie was at a loss how to answer this extraordinary statement, but
Edna gave her no time to collect her ideas.

"Quarrelling with Richard is poor fun," she went on; "he hasn't the wit
to retaliate, but just sits glum as you saw him to-night. I mean to
tell Master Richard, though, that his manners were worse than usual, for
he actually did not open his lips to his guest, although she was a
stranger."

"Indeed you are wrong," returned Bessie eagerly. "You are doing your
brother an injustice; he spoke to me several times, and made remarks
about the weather and my journey. I was just describing Cliffe to him
when your mother gave us the signal to rise."

"What a brilliant conversation!" observed Edna sarcastically. "Well, I
will prove to you that Richard is in his sulks, for he won't enter the
drawing-room again to-night; and if he did," she added, laughing, "mamma
would not speak to him, so it is just as well for him to absent himself.
Now let us go in, and I will sing to you. When people are not here mamma
always reads, and I sing to her."

Edna sung charmingly, and Bessie much enjoyed listening to her; and when
she was tired Mrs. Sefton beckoned Bessie to her couch, and talked to
her for a long time about her family.

"All this interests me; I like to hear your simple descriptions, my
child," she said, when Edna interrupted them by reminding her mother of
the lateness of the hour. "Now you must go to bed." And she dismissed
her with another kiss and a kindly good-night.

As the two girls went out into the hall they found Richard Sefton
hanging up his cap on the peg. He wore a light overcoat over his evening
dress, and had evidently spent his evening out.

"Good-night, Richard," observed Edna, with a careless nod, as she passed
him; but Bessie held out her hand with a smile.

"Good-night, Mr. Sefton. What a beautiful evening it has been!"

"Yes, and so warm," he returned cheerfully, as though the girl's smile
had loosened his