"You mean I took a liberty in trying to defend you," said Beatrice.

"Yes," said Bertram, straightforwardly. "That is what I do mean."

She drooped her head yet lower, and said, after a moment's silence, "I beg your pardon."

"No, no, not mine. I can only thank you for your mistaken kindness. But you ought to ask his forgiveness, for you were unjust in calling him cruel to me."

There was no music that evening. Beatrice sat absorbed in a book, and Eleanor hinted to her parents to leave her undisturbed.

After they had all parted for the night, Mr. Grant was sitting by the fire in his bed-room, with a sheet of calculations on the table at his side. He was not working, but gazing into the glowing caverns with a frown on his brow.

"Come in," he

A tap at the door startled him. said rather sharply. "Why, my poor victim, Bertram!" suddenly changing his tone.

66

"I am all unstrung to-night, Grant; I can't get rational. I want you to hypnotize me."

"Let me look at you-H'm. Excitable system, yours. I fancy I did it once too often to-day. Come, be open with your doctor: what is it all about?" Bertram replied half unwillingly, "Only that I expect I have done for myself with Miss Egerton. I told her she was unjust, and that I wanted no protection where you were concerned; she said, 'You mean I took a liberty,' and I said, 'Yes.'"

"Good gracious!" said Mr. Grant. "You silly

boy. Result, your pulse over a hundred, and every nerve throbbing. I could find it in my heart to be thoroughly angry with you both. Why could you not leave matters as they were? You ought to have been flattered by her defence of you; if her strength had been equal to her will, she would have broken. my arm to protect yours."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Bertram ; "what did she do?"

Caught hold of my arm with both her little hands and abused me roundly," said Mr. Grant. 66 But you need not have interfered, on your side, to protect me; what did it signify that she called me a brute?"

"She didn't,” vehemently interposed Bertram.

"Well, I believe the exact expression was 'brutal, horrible man,' if you like it better; and if she knew what you know about physiology, she would say it ten times more strongly if possible. I have a mind to hypnotize you again in public, and to send your memory to my laboratory.

66

"Grant, don't; you wouldn't!"

Mr. Grant rose and leant on the mantelpiece. Well," he said, "I am not ashamed of it. Life is not made up of strawberry cream. Some one must do the painful part of progress. My hand and eye, aye, and my nerves, mark me as the person; and what is more, it interests me. Come back to your room; I will put you to sleep."

"Tell me," said Bertram, as his friend stooped over his bed, "is it true that I call you Eric when I am hypnotized? Is it your doing or mine?"

"Mine. Who told you?"

"Miss Egerton.”

"Commend me to a woman," commented Mr.

Grant.

"Do you like it? Why?"

"I like you, and I hate sentiment. I know you would be surprised if I asked you to use my name habitually when you were awake; I would not force my friendship on you."

"Is that a snub because I bargained for Bertram?"

Mr. Grant laughed. "No, you ridiculous porcupine. Go to sleep."

In another minute he said "Bertram!"

"Yes, Eric," responded the other.

"Do you love Miss Egerton?"

"Yes," replied Bertram.

Mr. Grant closed his eyes, turned away, and left the room.

CHAPTER II.

"Judge not.-The workings of his brain
And of his heart thou canst not see."

MISS PROCTER.

BEATRICE listened with her hand on the door of her room till her cousins had gone down to prayers; she heard Frank and Alan greet them, and Bertram replied to Frank's shout and ran down after them. She opened the door, and moved cautiously to the top of the staircase which led to Mr. Grant's region; she knew he worked there from early morning, and was always found in the breakfast-room when the rest came from prayers.

She heard the door below unclose, and he came out, and crossed the hall. She flew down the stairs and intercepted him, breathless with haste and confusion.

"Mr. Grant, forgive me. Please say you will forgive me."

"What for?" he said, with startling abruptness. "For what I said yesterday. I am so sorry. I was very impertinent. I beg your pardon."

"You need not," he said, with no softening whatever in look or tone; 66 you have a right to your opinion of me. I confess I think you need not have told D'Eynecourt what I distinctly requested you all to keep to yourselves. But as for your opinion of me, I am content to acquiesce in it.”

"I quite forgot!" exclaimed Beatrice, confounded at the accusation. "Oh! how badly I have behaved altogether! Mr. Grant, do forgive me: you don't know how much ashamed I am."

"Pray do not distress yourself," he said, icily.

The tears started to her eyes, and she said, her voice breaking, "You will not forgive me then? Well, I deserve that you should be angry."

She turned away, struggling to check her sobs. He suddenly laid his hand on her arm. "I can't stand that, Miss Egerton. I can't have you crying. Come, control yourself. We shall have the rest upon us in a minute. Leave off crying, I tell you." "I-I can't help it," she murmured.

"Nonsense! stop directly, or, on the word of a Professor, I will electro-biologize you. There was a case in the 'Klinik' at Berlin-listen! no hysterics," for she was half-laughing now, "which puzzled us all, till one day my master, Professor Golbig, employed electro-biology. Good morning, Lady Westernbrook, I am telling Miss Egerton a professional secret, which must now wait till we are next alone."

The conversation became general, and the clouds were dispersed.

The end of Beatrice's visit came only too soon,