it. It was a
child's hand as yet, delicately pink and white.

"What a pretty thing!" he said. "Oh, you smile at that." He reached up
to put a lock of her brown hair back from her cheek, and then he put
his arm round her.

Next day he was obliged to go away--Beth never thought of inquiring
why or wherefore; but she heard her mother and Lady Benyon talking
about the very eligible appointment he was hoping to get. He took an
affectionate leave of her. When he had gone she went off to the sands,
and was surprised to find how glad she was to be alone again. The tide
was far out, and there were miles and miles of the hard buff sand, a
great, open space, not empty to Beth, but teeming with thought and
full of feeling. Some distance on in front of her there was a
solitary figure, a man walking with bent head and hands folded behind
him, holding a stick--Count Gustav Bartahlinsky's favourite attitude
when deep in meditation. Beth hurried on, and soon overtook him.

"Would you rather be alone, Count Gustav?" she said.

He turned to look at her, then smiled, and they walked on together.

"So they are going to marry you off," he said abruptly.

"Yes," Beth answered laconically.

"Do you wish to be married?"

"No, I do not."

"Then why do you consent?"

"Because I'm weak; I can't help it," she said.

"Nonsense!"

"I can't," she repeated. "I'm firm enough about some things, but in
this I vacillate. When I am alone I know I am making a mistake, but
when I am with other people who think differently, my objection
vanishes."

"What is your objection?" he asked.

"That is the difficulty," she said. "I can't define it. Do you know
Dr. Dan?"

"I can't say I know him," he answered. "I have met him and talked to
him. He expresses the most unexceptional opinions; but it is premature
to respect a man for the opinions he expresses--wait and see what he
does. Words and acts don't necessarily agree. Sometimes, however, a
chance remark which has very little significance for the person who
makes it, is like an aperture that lets in light on the whole
character." He cogitated a little, then added, "Don't let them hurry
you. Take time to know your man, and if you are not satisfied
yourself, if there is anything that jars upon _you_, never mind what
other people think, have nothing to do with him."

When Beth went home, she found her mother sitting by the drawing-room
window placidly knitting and looking out. "I am afraid I am ve