little Bessie was kept away from home and punished on his account, he would give her meddlesome friends something to talk about by going to Caen again and seeing her in spite of them.  He made out with clearness enough to satisfy his conscience that Lady Latimer and Mrs. Wiley gave themselves unnecessary anxiety about Mr. Fairfax’s granddaughter, and that he was perfectly justified in circumventing their cautious tactics.  He did not speak of his intention to the Carnegies, lest he should meet with a remonstrance that he would be forced to yield to; but he told his sympathizing mother that he was going to spend five pounds of his pocket-money in a run across to Normandy to see Bessie Fairfax.  Mrs. Musgrave asked if it was quite wise, quite kind, for Bessie’s sake.  He was sure that Bessie would be glad, and he did not care who was vexed.

Harry Musgrave gave himself no leisure to reconsider the matter, but went off to Hampton, to Havre, to Caen, with the lightest heart and most buoyant spirit in the world.  He put up at Thunby’s, and in the frosty sunshine of the next morning marched with the airs and sensations of a lover in mischief to the Rue St. Jean.  Louise, that sage portress, recognized the bold young cousin of the English belle des belles, and announced him to Mademoiselle Adelaide.  After a parley Bessie was permitted to receive him, to go out with him, to be as happy as three days were long.  Harry told her how and why he had come, and Bessie was furiously indignant at the Wileys pretending to any concern in her affairs.  Towards Lady Latimer she was more indulgent.  They spent many hours in company, and told all their experiences.  Harry talked of dons and proctors, of work and play, of hopes and projects, of rivals and friends.  Bessie had not so much to tell:  she showed him the classe and her place there, and introduced him to Janey.  They visited all the public gardens and river-side walks.  They were beautiful young people, and were the observed of many observers.  The sagacious cure of St. Jean’s, the confessor and director at the school, saw them by chance on the morning of a day when he had a mission to Bayeux.  What more natural than that he should call upon Madame Fournier at her uncle the canon’s house? and what more simple than that he should mention having met the English belle and her cousin of the dangerous sex?

Bessie Fairfax and Janey Fricker attended vespers regularly on Sunday afternoons at the church of St. Jean; but they were not amongst the fair penitents who whispered their peccadilloes once a fortnight in the cure’s ear—­he secluded in an edifice of chintz like a shower-bath, they kneeling outside the curtain with the blank eyes of the Holy Mother upon them, and the remote presence of a guardian-teacher out of hearing.  But he took an interest in them.  No overt act of proselytism was permitted in the school, but if an English girl liked vespers instead of the