Poor Bessie! she had much to learn yet of the fitness of
things, and of things in their right places. Miss Gardiner treated her
as very young, and only spoke to her of her school, from which she was
newly but fully and for ever emancipated. Incidentally, Bessie learned a
bit of news concerning one of her early comrades there. "Ada Hiloe was
at Madame Fournier's at Caen. Was it in your time? Did you know her?"
she was asked, and when she said that she did, Mr. Cecil Burleigh added
for information that the young lady was going to be married; so he had
heard in Paris from Mr. Chiverton. Julia instantly cried out, "Indeed!
to whom?"
"To Mr. Chiverton himself."
"That horrid old man! Oh, can it be true?"
"He is very rich," was the quiet rejoinder, and both lapsed into
silence, until they had parted with their young companion.
Mr. Cecil Burleigh carefully enveloped Bessie in a cloak, Miss Gardiner
watching them. Then he bade her good-bye, with a reference to the
probability of his seeing her again soon at Abbotsmead. It was a
gracious good-bye, and effaced her slight discomfiture about her dress.
It even left her under the agreeable impression that he liked her in a
friendly way, his abrupt dicta on costume notwithstanding. A certain
amount of approbation from without was essential to Bessie's inner
peace. As the boat rowed off she waved her hand with rosy benignity to
the two looking after her departure.
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