“Better so than in the other extreme.  A girl of heart and mind cannot be expected to identify herself suddenly with the customs of a strange rank.  She was early trained in the habits of a simple household, but from what I see there can have been nothing wanting of essential refinement in Mrs. Carnegie.  There is a crudeness in Miss Fairfax yet—­she is very young—­but she will ripen sound and sweet to the core, or I am much mistaken in the quality of the green fruit.”

The squire replied that he had no reason to believe his granddaughter was otherwise than a good girl.  And with that they left discussing her and fell upon the election.  Mr. Cecil Burleigh had a good courage for the encounter, but he also had received intimations not to make too sure of his success.  The Fairfax influence had been so long in abeyance, so long only a name in Norminster, that Mr. John Short began to quake the moment he began to test it.  Once upon a time Norminster had returned a Fairfax as a matter of course, but for a generation its tendencies had been more and more towards Liberalism, and at the last election it had returned its old Whig member at the head of the poll, and in lieu of its old Tory member a native lawyer, one Bradley, who professed Radicalism on the hustings, but pruned his opinions in the House to the useful working pattern of a supporter of the ministry.  This prudent gentleman was considered by a majority of his constituents not to have played fair, and it was as against him, traitor and turncoat, that the old Tories and moderate Conservatives were going to try to bring in Mr. Cecil Burleigh.  Both sides were prepared to spend money, and Norminster was enjoying lively anticipations of a good time coming.

While the gentlemen were thus discoursing to and fro the terrace under the library window, Miss Burleigh in Bessie’s parlor was instructing her of her brother’s political views.  It is to be feared that Bessie was less interested than the subject deserved, and also less interested in the proprietor of the said views than his sister supposed her to be.  She listened respectfully, however, and did not answer very much at random, considering that she was totally ignorant beforehand of all that was being explained to her.  At length she said, “I must begin to read the newspapers.  I know much better what happened in the days of Queen Elizabeth than what has happened in my own lifetime;” and then Miss Burleigh left politics, and began to speak of her brother’s personal ambition and personal qualities; to relate anecdotes of his signal success at Eton and at Oxford; to expatiate on her own devotion to him, and the great expectations founded by all his family upon his high character and splendid abilities.  She added that he had the finest temper in the world, and that he was ardently affectionate.

Bessie smiled at this.  She believed that she knew where his ardent affections were centred; and then she blushed at the tormenting recollection of how she had interpreted his assiduities to herself before making that discovery.  Miss Burleigh saw the blush, seeming to see nothing, and said softly, “I envy the woman who has to pass her life with Cecil.  I can imagine nothing more contenting than his society to one he loves.”