"Stop a bit, Jess dear," she said. "I want to speak to you about
something else."

Jess sat or rather dropped back into her chair, and her pale face turned
paler than ever; but Bessie blushed very red and hesitated.

"It's about Captain Niel," she said at length.

"Oh," answered Jess with a little laugh, and her voice sounded cold and
strange in her own ears. "Has he been following Frank Muller's example,
and proposing to you too?"

"No-o," said Bessie, "but"--and here she rose, and, sitting on a stool
by her elder sister's chair, rested her forehead against her knee--"but
I love him, and I _believe_ that he loves me. This morning he told me
that I was the prettiest woman he had seen at home or abroad, and the
sweetest too; and do you know," she said, looking up and giving a happy
little laugh, "I think he meant it."

"Are you joking, Bessie, or are you really in earnest?"

"In earnest! ah, but that I am, and I am not ashamed to say it. I fell
in love with John Niel when he killed that cock ostrich. He looked so
strong and savage as he fought with it. It is a fine thing to see a man
put out all his strength. And then he is such a gentleman!--so different
from the men we meet round here. Oh yes, I fell in love with him at
once, and I have got deeper and deeper in love with him ever since,
and if he does not marry me I think that it will break my heart. There,
that's the truth, Jess dear," and she dropped her golden head on to her