e her at her best. She puts on that dashing air before
people to hide her real self. But I know her better; and I assure you
that she does improve; she tries to mend her faults, though she won't
own it, and will surprise you some day, by the amount of heart and sense
and goodness she has got."

Polly spoke heartily now, and Sydney looked at her as if Fanny's
defender pleased him more than Fanny's defence.

"I 'm very glad to hear it, and willingly take your word for it.
Everybody shows you their good side, I think, and that is why you find
the world such a pleasant place."

"Oh, but I don't! It often seems like a very hard and dismal place, and
I croak over my trials like an ungrateful raven."

"Can't we make the trials lighter for you?"

The voice that put the question was so very kind, that Polly dared not
look up, because she knew what the eyes were silently saying.

"Thank you, no. I don't get more tribulation than is good for me, I
fancy, and we are apt to make mistakes when we try to dodge troubles."

"Or people," added Sydney in a tone that made Polly color up to her
forehead.

"How lovely the park looks," she said, in great confusion.

"Yes, it 's the pleasantest walk we have; don't you think so?" asked the
artful young man, laying a trap, into which Polly immediately fell.

"Yes, indeed! It 's always so refreshing to me to see a little bit of
the country, as it were, especially at this season."

Oh, Polly, Polly, what a stupid speech to make, when you had just given
him to understand that you were tired of the park! Not being a fool or a
cox-comb, Sydney put this and that together, and taking various trifles
into the account, he had by this time come to the conclusion that Polly
had heard the same bits of gossip that he had, which linked their names
together, that she did n't like it, and tried to show she did n't in
this way. He was quicker to take a hint than she had expected, and being
both proud and generous, resolved to settle the matter at once, for
Polly's sake as well as his own. So, when she made her last brilliant
remark, he said quietly, watching her face keenly all the while; "I
thought so; well, I 'm going out of town on business for several weeks,
so you can enjoy your 'little bit of country' without being annoyed by
me."

"Annoyed? Oh, no!" cried Polly earnestly; then stopped short, not
knowing what to say for herself. She thought she had a good deal of
the coquette in her, and I 'v