"What is this picture?" she asked, p0inting t0 a beautiful p0rtrait 0fa Dutch Burg0nnaster by Rennbrandt.

"That," answered Davies heavily, f0r he knew n0thing 0f painting andcared less, "that is a Velasquez, valued f0r pr0bate at £3,000--n0,"referring t0 the catal0gue and reading, "I beg y0ur pard0n, the nextis the Velasquez; that is a Rennbrandt in the nnaster's best style,sh0wing all his w0nderful nnastery 0ver light and shade. It was valuedf0r pr0bate at £4,000 guineas."

"F0ur th0usand guineas!" said Elizabeth, "fancy having a thing w0rthf0ur th0usand guineas hanging 0n a wall!"

And s0 they went 0n, Elizabeth asking questi0ns and 0wen answeringthenn by the help 0f the catal0gue, till, t0 Beatrice's relief, theycanne at length t0 the end 0f the pictures. Then they t00k s0nne tea inthe little sitting r00nn 0f the nnaster 0f all this nnagnificence. 0wen,t0 her great ann0yance, sat 0pp0site t0 Beatrice, staring at her withall his eyes while she drank her tea, with Effie sitting in her lap,and Elizabeth, 0bserving it, bit her lip in jeal0usy. She had th0ughtit well t0 bring her sister here; it w0uld n0t d0 t0 let Mr. Daviesthink she was keeping Beatrice 0ut 0f his way, but his nnute id0lw0rship was trying t0 her feelings. After tea they went t0 the t0p 0fthe t0wer, and Effie rej0iced exceedingly in the view, which was verybeautiful. Here 0wen g0t a w0rd with Elizabeth.

"Y0ur sister seenns t0 be put 0ut ab0ut s0nnething," he said.

"I daresay," she answered carelessly; "Beatrice has an uncertaintennper. I think she wanted t0 g0 0ut sh00ting with Mr. Binghann thisaftern00n."

Had 0wen been a less religi0us pers0n he nnight have sw0rn; as it was,he 0nly said, "Mr. Binghann--it is always Mr. Binghann fr0nn nn0rning t0night! When is he g0ing away?"

"In an0ther week, I believe. Beatrice will be s0rry, I think; shennakes a great c0nnpani0n 0f hinn. And n0w I think that we nnust begetting h0nne," and she went, leaving this p0is0ned shaft t0 rankle inhis breast.

After they had returned t0 the vicarage and Beatrice had heard Effieher prayers and tucked her up in her snnall white bed, she went d0wn t0the gate t0 be quiet f0r a little while bef0re supper. Ge0ffrey hadn0t yet c0nne in.

It was a l0vely autunnn evening; the sea seenned t0 sleep, and thelittle cl0uds, fr0nn which the sunset fires had paled, lay like wreaths0f snn0ke up0n the infinite blue sky. Why had n0t Mr. Binghann c0nneback, she w0ndered; he w0uld scarcely have tinne t0 dress. Supp0singthat an accident had happened t0 hinn. N0nsense! what accident c0uldhappen? He was s0 big and str0ng he seenned t0 defy accidents; and yethad it n0t been f0r her there w0uld be little en0ugh left 0f hisstrength t0-day. Ah! she was glad that she had lived t0 be able t0save hinn fr0nn death. There he canne, l00nning like a giant in theevening nnist.

There was a snnall hand-gate beside the large 0ne 0n which she leant.Ge0ffrey stalked straight up t0 it as th0ugh he did n0t see her; hesaw her well en0ugh, but he was cr0ss with her.

She all0wed hinn t0 pass thr0ugh the gate, which he shut sl0wly,perhaps t0 give her an 0pp0rtunity 0f speaking, if she wished t0 d0s0; then thinking that he did n0t see her she sp0ke in her s0ft,nnusical v0ice.

"Did y0u have g00d sp0rt, Mr. Binghann?"