She could not talk this out with anybody, except now and then an

utterance to the consenting Mr. Mauleverer, but in general she would

have been shocked to put these surging thoughts into words, and Bessie

was her only intimate who would avow that there could be anything to

be found fault with in a clergyman. When alone together, Bessie would

sometimes regretfully, sometimes in a tone of amusement, go over bits

of narrow-minded folly that had struck her in the clergy, and more

especially in her uncle's curate, Mr. Lifford, whose dryness was, she

owned, very repulsive to her.

"He is a good creature," she said, "and most necessary to my uncle, but

how he and I are to get through life together, I cannot tell. It must

soon be tried, though! After my visit at Bath will come my home at

Bishopsworthy!" And then she confided to Rachel all the parish ways, and

took counsel on the means of usefulness that would not clash with the

curate and pain her uncle. She even talked of a possible orphan for the

F. U. E. E., only that unlucky prejudice against Mr. Mauleverer was sure

to stand in the way.

So acceptable had Bessie Keith made herself everywhere, that all

Avonmouth was grieved at her engagement to spend the winter at Bath

with her married cousin, to whom she was imperatively necessary in the

getting up of a musical party.

"And I must go some time or other," she said to Colonel Keith, "so it

had better be when you are all here to make Myrtlewood cheerful, and

I can be of most use to poor Jane! I do think dear Lady Temple is much

more full of life and brightness now!"

Everybody seemed to consider Bessie's departure as their own personal

loss: the boys were in despair for their playfellow, Ermine would miss

those sunny visits; Colonel Keith many a pleasant discussion, replete

with delicate compliments to Ermine, veiled by tact; and Lord Keith the

pretty young clanswoman who had kept up a graceful little coquetry with

him, and even to the last evening, went on walking on the esplanade with

him in the sunset, so as to set his brother free to avoid the evening

chill.

And, above all, Lady Temple regretted the loss of the cheery companion

of her evenings. True, Bessie had lately had a good many small evening

gaieties, but she always came back from them so fresh and bright, and so

full of entertaining description and anecdote, that Fanny felt as if she

had been there herself, and, said Bessie, "it was much better for her

than staying at home with her, and bringing in no novelty."

"Pray come to me again, dearest! Your stay has been the greatest treat.

It is very kind in you to be so good to me."




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