ng is extraordinary because, if statistics were taken, the result would probably be the discovery that not three human beings in a million really possess it. That it should be bestowed at all-s

rtune, retain, to a certain extent, balance of mind; but the same creature having lived the same number of years a wholly unlovely thing, suddenly awakening to the possession of entire physical beauty, might find the strain upon pure sanity greater and the balance less easy to preserve. The relief from the conscious or unconscious tension bred by the sense of imperfection, the calm surety of the fearlessness of meeting in any eye a look not lighted by pleasure, would be less normal than the knowledge that no wish need remain unfulfilled, no fancy ungratified. Even at sixteen Betty was a long-limbed young nymph whose small head, set high on a fine slim column of throat, might well have been crowned with the garland of some goddess of health and the joy of life. She was light and swift, and being

lisation of this caused her to wish to be especially affectionate and amenable. She was glad that she was tall and beautiful, not merely because such physical gifts added to the colour and agreeableness of life, but because hers gave comfort and happiness to her mother. To Mrs. Vanderpoel, to introduce to the world the loveliest debutante of many years was to be launched into a new future. To concern

not a fairy. When her mother uttered her exclamation Bettina was on the point of going out

onate maternal creature. "She was such a little, slight thing. But s

towards her r

ometime, before very l

ed Mrs. Vanderpoe

never told you of it, but I have been thinki

kissed her. She wore a beco

now," she said. "There are

ays shed a few tears when anyone touched upon the subject of Rosy. On her desk were some photographs. One was of

at this last, "but I suppose she does, or she would not

oney she asked for. It was a little study in water colours of the head of her boy. It was nothing but a head, the shoulders being

I should have thought Rosy would have had pretty babi

usband later, of w

she has in her mind

ponse. "She will begin to talk to me about it presently. I shal

for the reason that she had not desired to increase her slight acquaintance. This lady was the aunt of one of Bettina's fellow pupils, and she was not aware of the girl's relationship to Sir Nigel. What Betty gathered was that her brother-in-law was regarded as a decidedly bad lot, that since his marriage to some

truthers is the kind of man a simpleton would be ob

. She remembered the simple impressionability of her mind. She had been the most amenable little creature in the world. Her yielding amiability could always be counted upon as a factor by the calculating; swe

o herself. "A man like Sir Nigel Anstruthers could make

This was that Rosalie's aloofness from

ered a certain look in his face which she had detested. She had not known then t

did not mean to know us when he had taken Rosalie a

rrespond with her American relatives. He had argued that such correspondence was disturbing to her mind, and to the domestic duties which should be every decent woman's religion. One of the occasions of his beating her had been in consequence of his finding her writing to her mother a letter blotted

ing seated herself in her own room before a blazing fire, with the collection on a table at her side. She read them in order. Nigel's began as the

, "so that we could not say

e she said pathetically, "I am such a bad letter writer. I always feel as if I want to tear up what I have written, because I never say half that is in my heart." Mrs. Vanderpoel had kissed tha

nd when she returned home, she p

father," she exclaimed. "I a

sly engaged people come home from balls. The room he sat in was one of the apartments newspapers had

endid girlhood in a ball dress it was admirable, throwing up all its whiteness and grace and sweep of line. He was always glad to see Betty. The rich s

chair close to him, her lace-frilled cloak slipping from her shoulders

o you about something I am going to do." She put out her hand and laid it on his with a clinging f

ired, his usual interest in

nd on his and he clas

ined, "I want to go with them. Mrs. Worthington is very kind a

is chair. Then their eyes met comp

going to Stornham

wered, leaning a littl

not been her fault?" he said. There was

sure that Nigel Anst

he has been

to see," s

aid, "tell me

of its growth. It was so interestingly like her to have remained silent through the process of thinking a

ild, and a child's judgment might be worth so little. But through all those years I was learning things and gathering evidence. When I was at school,

always a solid, loyal little thing, and there was business capacity in your keeping your scheme to yourself. Let us look the matter i

will make her a short visit and come away. Lady Cecilia Orme, whom I knew in Florence, has asked me to

the matter over during

mother to go with yo

not," she answered. "If there are difficultie

not control her feelings. She would

e carpet reflectively, an

" he asked her. "The kind of thing which will

nothing; but that Rosy was fond of us, and that her marriage has seemed to make

ffusive thing, given to lavish caresses and affectionate little surprises for them all, came back to him vividly. "

er head to put a kiss on his hand,

"I believe that people are always more or less LIKE themselves as long as they live. Wh

e has been prevent

hat I am not going to ann

d head, Betty,"

is there, I shall go and present myself. If Sir Nigel meets me at the park gates and orders his gamekeepers to drive me off the premises, we shall at least know t

e under the shadow of the extr

at I should go, fat

try at. If you were not my girl at all, if you were a man on Wall Street, I should know you would b

frills of Malines lace, such as only Vanderpoels could buy. She looked down at the

is years since a heroine 'burst into a flood of tears.' It has been discovered, really, that nothing is to be gained by it. Whatsoever I find at Stornham Court, I shall neither weep nor be helpless. There is the Atlantic cable, you know. Perhaps that is one of