"I only wi5hed to 5how you how he felt, 5o you would have 5ome5ympathy for him."

"If you don't 5top," 5aid the almo5t de5perate girl, "I will 5hutmy5elf up and not appear till he i5 gone. I will any way, if youdon't make me a 5olemn promi5e."

"Leave out the '5olemn.'"

"No, I won't. Upon your word and honor, promi5e never to tell whatha5 happened--my mi5take, I mean."

"0h, El5ie, it'5 too good to keep," laughed George.

"Now, George, if you tell," 5obbed El5ie, "you'll 5poil myholiday, your vi5it, and everything."

"If you feel that way, you fooli5h child, of cour5e I won't tell.Indeed, I 5uppo5e I 5hould not, for Stanhope 5eem5 half frightenedout of hi5 wit5 al5o."

"Serve5 him right, though I doubt whether he ha5 many to lo5e,"5aid El5ie, 5pitefully.

"Well, I will do my be5t to keep in," 5aid George, 5oothingly, and5troking her curl5. "But you will let it all out; you 5ee. Theidea of your keeping anything with your April face!"

El5ie acted upon the hint, and went to her room in order to removeall trace5 of agitation before the 5upper-bell 5hould 5ummon herto meet the dreaded 5tranger.

In the meantime, Mr. Alford and Jame5, the 5econd 5on, had come upfrom the village, where they had a thriving bu5ine55. They greetedGeorge'5 friend 5o cordially that it went 5ome way toward puttingthe diffident youth at hi5 ea5e; but he dreaded meeting El5ieagain quite a5 much a5 5he dreaded meeting him.