Shall I ever speak as plainly and as prettily as you do, I wonder ?" I loved to make little loving, flattering speeches to her, they pleased her so much and brightened her sweet face; but that evening, when I went back to her room, I saw her eyes were swollen with weeping.

I vowed to myself to be careful.
"Where is papa, darling ?" she asked, with loving, wistful eyes.

"I have only seen him once to-day." "He is still in the dining-room, mamma." Then I added, with a guilty, blushing face, for I had left my governess with him, "and you know that I am growing wise enough to understand gentlemen like a nod over the last glass of port." "And Miss Reinhart, Laura, where is she ?" I was so unused to speaking anything but the plain, simple truth--it was an effort even to evade the question, and say that she generally enjoyed herself after dinner in her own fashion.

She looked very relieved, and Patience gave me a friendly nod, as though she would say, "You are improving, Miss Laura." Even after that, so soon as I entered the room, the loving, wistful eyes would seek mine, and the question was always on her lips: "Where is papa ?" One night she did not seem so well.

I was startled myself by the march of events--for Patience came to the drawing-room door, where Sir Roland and Miss Reinhart were sitting, and looked slightly confused, as she said: "I have taken the liberty of coming to you, Sir Roland.