The Beautiful Wretch; The Pupil of Aurelius; and The Four Macnicols

he existence of the young Lieutenant whose acquaintance she had made. Moreover, the succession of these rapid excitements le

that on the whole Nan was very much delighted in her demure way, and that delight showed itself in her face and in her clear bright eyes. Her hair was a little wild, and she had lost some of her forget-me-nots, and there were one or two flying tags that had got dissociated from the skirt of her dress; but was not that all p

en she bethought herself of the young sailor. Well, he had left. That was very opportune. She would devote the time of this dance to her mo

pect you to do more than your duty, even with all those flags overhead. Come away, and I

same time. 'You may use such expressions, if you like, when you are with

is madness, pure madness. The excitement

r, with a smile. Nan, and Nan al

r some one who was no other than the young Lieutenant she had met at the beginning of

he. He was a grave-looking young man for his years-a Corsican Br

,' she stammered. 'You

t been dancing

a,' she said, and she put her hand

ngers. Most girls stare at you so, with a sort of hold-off air, and

t you were so shy,' said

a little,

in half a dozen years, maybe), you meet with a girl who is quite different from the others, quite different. You know it at once from her manner, and yo

out of place; for the waltz had already begun, and she wanted to get back to her

e able to make friends in a short time; for it's only a short time he has. Asho

ys,' said Nan

at sea. Why, you yourself now; after you leave this house to-night you will completely forget that there are such

said she firmly, 'for I see ships

?' he exclaimed w

g the downs towards Newhaven, you know. The ships are a good way off

hton and Newhaven?' he said, as if tha

ual

look out for you; I will i

s idle talk, so she

fact is, I want to take mamma and get

ce me to her, and I will take you both down to

n-not yet,' said Nan,

ll enough for anything. Why, nothing could be more na

as too excited or frightened to think about dinner. But if

he remembered in time that this was

s; come away, Miss Beresford,

oving round that open space to the sound of the

have one turn? I shall not

m her fan to hold, and arranged her train, and a couple of seconds thereafter

r lady, he would hear of nothing but that she and Nan should forthwith go downstairs to supper. By and by there would be too great a cru

hen Frank King, who was most assiduous in his attentions to Lady Beresford, and scarcely saw Nan at all, discovered that the mamma knew certain relatives of his, and knew all about his own family, and had even on one occasion visited Kingscourt a good many years ago. Lady Beresford was very kind t

ady Beresford?' he said quickly. 'The fact is, my leave i

pt so great a secret, she asked herself, rather breathlessly, and with her heart beginning to beat quickly? If he were to know on the morrow, why not now? It would ma

ng man? And how might he take it? She said to herself, 'The old monarchs used to kill the messengers who brought them bad news, and they used to give hea

d her opp

ip called the Fly-by-Night?' she said,

prise. 'She's what they call a school-brig-

'Then they want a clever officer, I suppo

out any great interest; and he was about to tu

if you heard you were to be tr

f it,' said he, laughing; '

an to com

a long way off yet,

s no great secret-you will know to-morrow-you are to be

flushed a

king, Miss

orge told me to-night; I am not joking at all

w his under lip quive

he

orge's doing-if

ld lady with a portentous head-dress. Nan instantly conjectured that she must be a dowager-

aused as he

nted to drink a glass of wine with you. Doing

o Portsmouth to-mo

ralty to-morrow. I didn't see you dancing to

d triumphantly across t

-laughing off h

sford; and I don't know how. I hope it is true. They never gave me a h

ford, severely, 'to mention such a thing; but Sir Georg

Tom Beresford; and these three, having adjourned for a time to a certain remote snuggery where were sherry and soda and cigarettes, Frank King was quite content to accept from Mr. Tom hints concerning things about town. There was in especial a famous 'lion comique'-the Great Dunse, or the Jolly Ass, or some such creature-about whom Mr. Tom was much exercised; and Frank King

ted herself fairly well; she had gratified the soft-hearted old Admiral; she hadn't fallen in love with anybody; and she had seen a number of ce

ll her that her news had been true; he had heard from the Admiralty that morning, and he wished to thank her. Nan was somewhat cold in her manner; she had thought with some pride that he was not like the other gentlemen who ca

ng lady visitors to whom he was introduced; but Nan seized an early opportunity of slipping away to her own room, where she re

nk of Frank King-and it was seldom-it was always with a slight touch of disappointment. No doubt his leave was extended; probably he was still in town, and repeating those afternoon call

ers,' she would say to herself; and then she would turn