"It would be a poor service, my dear child," said her sister.

"In what sense? There is nothing against Lord Lambeth that I know of."

Mrs. Westgate was silent a moment. "You ARE in love with him then?"

Bessie stared again; but this time she blushed a little.
"Ah! if you won't be serious," she answered, "we will not
mention him again."

For some moments Lord Lambeth was not mentioned again, and it was
Mrs. Westgate who, at the end of this period, reverted to him.
"Of course I will let him know we are here, because I think he would
be hurt--justly enough--if we should go away without seeing him.
It is fair to give him a chance to come and thank me for the kindness
we showed him. But I don't want to seem eager."

"Neither do I," said Bessie with a little laugh.

"Though I confess," added her sister, "that I am curious to see
how he will behave."

"He behaved very well at Newport."

"Newport is not London. At Newport he could do as he liked;
but here it is another affair. He has to have an eye to consequences."

"If he had more freedom, then, at Newport," argued Bessie, "it is the more
to his credit that he behaved well; and if he has to be so careful here,