Brothers

y with her, she perceived jealousies and meanness, whereas the boys displayed hearts full of love, with no room for anything else where she was concerned. The seco

cle. If he knew you had told a fib, it would make him very unhappy." When the time came to choose a governess, she selected a lady of strong character, whose seeming severity was tempered by a sense of humour and justice. Betty hated her at first, and then learned to love her. Almost irredeemably ugly, with a square masculine head surmounting a tall, lean, awkward figure, Miriam Hazelby made the l

ich nests in certain sheltered spots upon the Westchester downs. Mark had told Betty-now a girl of fourteen-of his proposed expedition, and

alone with you; she thinks you a young man, and I'm told twice a we

as he was passing the chalk-pit to the right of the village, Betty sprang into t

d Mark, "you

ch in this basket. Two big bits of Buszard's cake, some tartlets, sixpenno

k-white blossoms about her, and a cestus of tender green. As they passed out of the lane on to the soft turf of the downs, the landscape widened till it became panoramic. Behind lay King's Charteris enco

eavenly?" B

-r-rathe

ouching forward in an attitude which Mark recognised, not without dismay, as his o

ut up,

Miriam-"to speak English. Young people, nowadays, are unintelligible. My father, in whose presence I never ventured to tak

encumbered with the basket. Soon the business of the day began: the f

'beyondy' tal

hat.

tell you my sins one by one, if you'll tell me yours. Only you must begin. It will be splendid fun, and, as Lanky says-improving. She says one ought to know on

" said

chaff,' as dear La

y ambitiou

n the grass. Now she sat up

g in bed. Lanky says these are awful sins. Oh, dear, I've given you two sins to one. Never mind. Lanky says a woman ought to give more than she gets. I say, eat fair with the chocolat

hy

the Kirtlings would kill what was worse in the De Courcys. I'm not sure what she meant, and I dared no

ark, getting

tty. "I do believe that you

have a thousand caresses distinctively their own. Her touch was different to the touch

u know?" sh

began bravely, and then end

much," said Betty d

-mother r

ther was so handsome. I often look at his miniature; and he must have been the most fascinating

erately, "this talk is

attention

y,' she said, 'remember that it is not for you to judge your parents. They may not have had your a

d she say to

'We all suffer,' she growled, 'for the evil that oth

me you are the princess who l-l-live

sm

ed some tears from her eyes and sprang to her feet. "Look here, we have that long stri

the shade, and Mark after her-a boy once more

waited her, assuring Mark that she did not care a hang, revelling the

the sun was declining into the

run," cri

s the village. And here bad luck tempted them to link hands and race down a slippery, grassy slope. Perhaps Mark went

u hurt,

e," she groaned, her fa

But Betty assured him she could limp home leaning on his arm. They started very slowly and in silen

on the verge of tears. "This is the

her foot with his handkerchief. It lay soft and white in his hand. Sh

er than Archie,"

?" he st

o much mor

nsi

nd that stupid old Jim Corrance say th

o say what Archie and Jim had said, but

friend," pursued Betty. "N

wondered whether he could carry her to the summit of it. A feather-weight, this dainty creature, but Mark was no colossus like Archie. Still, exercise in the gymnasium and elsewhere had hardened his muscles. He bent down, picked her up, and breasted the hill. Her

d, "run home before

you?

simulated anger. The Admiral must h

ate wretch!

end, and sent his butler, hot-foot, for the village doctor. Nor was Mark permitted to leave The Whim till that gentleman had prono

with a lively young man! Miss Hazelby is inexpressibly shocked. A rod has been pickling

aid Mark abjectedly,

rter-deck. His grey beard lay upon his broad chest; hi

it seriously. I am tempted to call you a-jackanapes. As it is,

f you were b-b

ace r

uadron"-the Admiral's voice became reminiscent-"I had the doose of an affair. I suffered like any Romeo,

ht, sir; and I a

gue. I daresay Betty think

s us-very

boy, shake hands! You've made a clean breast of it, and I respect you for that. And you're in you

that night he dreamed he was illustrious-a great soldier, a ruler amongst men. But, high though he climbed, aye, even to