something precious.

"Shall I answer it?" she inquired.

"Not now. We must think about that. You are too young to enter into
correspondence with a gentleman--especially with one about whom we
know so little. Before his brief visit to Woodbine Lodge, we had
never so much as heard of Mr. Lyon."

A slight shade of disappointment crossed the bright young face of
Fanny Markland--not unobserved by her mother.

"It would seem rude, were I to take no notice of the letter
whatever," said she, after reflecting a moment.

"Your father can acknowledge the receipt for you, when he writes to
Mr. Lyon."

"But would that do?" asked Fanny, in evident doubt.

"O yes, and is, in my view, the only right course. We know but
little, if any thing, about Mr. Lyon. If he should not be a true
man, there is no telling how much you might suffer in the estimation
of right-minded people, by his representation that you were in
correspondence with him. A young girl can never be too guarded, on
this point. If Mr. Lyon is a man worthy of your respect, he will be
disappointed in you, if he receive an answer to his letter, under
your own hand."

"Why, mother? Does he not say that he knows of nothing that would