do better things than they had yet accomplished, a passionate desire had
risen to make herself worthy of his approbation. She wished him to think
of her as more than a mere girl--the companion of none but the very
young. She wished to be his companion, and all that was ardent and
enthusiastic in her nature was beginning to rush, like a torrent that
suddenly finds an outlet, into the channels indicated by him.

She did not realize this. But the absorbing study she was giving to the
old pictures, the intensity of which was surprising to Bettina, was an
indication of it. Her quick endeavor to follow any line of thought
suggested by Mr. Sumner--and her restlessness when she saw the long
conversations he and Miss Sherman would so often hold, were others. It
seemed to her lately as if Miss Sherman were always claiming his time
and attention--even their visit to Santa Maria del Carmine to study the
frescoes by Masaccio, who was the next artist they were to learn about,
had been postponed because she wished Mrs. Douglas and Mr. Sumner to go
somewhere with her. Barbara did not like it very well.

But to Howard she gave little thought when she was away from him. He was
kind, his flowers were sweet, but they were all over the house,--given
to others as well as to herself. It was very good of him to take herself
and Betty in his fine new carriage so often; but, perhaps,--if he did
not so continually ask them,--perhaps,--they would oftener drive with
Mr. Sumner and Malcom; and she knew Betty would like that better, as
well as she herself.

She was often annoyed because he evidently "admired" her so much, as
Betty called it, and did wish he would not look at her as he sometimes
did; and she felt very sensitively the signs of irritation that were so
apparent in him when anything prevented them from being with him as he