for years to look up to him as a sort of infallible guide, she would not admit the suggestion, and tried to keep alive the admiring respect with which she had been wont to defer to his judgment.  He seemed to consider his dogmatic dictation both acceptable and necessary, and it was this assumed mastery, unaccompanied with manifestations of former tenderness, which irritated and aroused her pride.  With the brush of youthful imagination she had painted him as the future statesman—­gifted, popular, and revered; and while visions of his fame and glory flitted before her the promise of sharing all with her was by no means the least fascinating feature in her fancy picture.  Of late, however, he had ceased to speak of the choice of a profession, and mentioned vaguely Mr. Graham’s wish that he should acquaint himself thoroughly with French, German, and Spanish, in order to facilitate the correspondence of the firm with foreign houses.  She felt that once embarked on the sea of mercantile life he would have little leisure or inclination to pursue the paths which she hoped to travel by his side, and, on this occasion, her letter was longer and more earnest than usual, urging his adherence to the original choice of the law and using every forcible argument she could adduce.  Finally the reply was sealed and directed, and she went down to the study to place it in the marble receiver which stood on her guardian’s desk.  Hal, who accompanied the doctor in his round of visits, always took their letters to the post office, and punctually deposited all directed to them in the vase.  To her surprise she found no fire in the grate.  The blinds were drawn closely, and, in placing her letter on the desk, she noticed several addressed to the doctor and evidently unopened.  They must have arrived the day before, and while she wondered at the aspect of the room Harriet entered.

“Miss Beulah, do you know how long master expects to be gone?  I thought maybe you could tell when you came home, for Mrs. Watson does not seem to know any more than I do.”

“Gone!  What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know he has gone up the river to the plantation?  Why, I packed his valise at daylight yesterday, and he left in the early morning boat.  He has not been to the plantation since just before you came here.  Hal says he heard him tell Dr. Asbury to take charge of his patients, that his overseer had to be looked after.  He told me he was going to the plantation, and I would have asked him when he was coming back, but he was in one of his unsatisfactory ways—­ looked just like his mouth had been dipped in hot sealing-wax, so I held my tongue.”

Beulah bit her lips with annoyance, but sat down before the melodeon, and said as unconcernedly as possible: 

“I did not know he had left the city, and, of course, have no idea when he will be back.  Harriet, please make me a fire here, or call Hal to do it.”

“There is a good fire in the dining room; better go in there and sit with Mrs. Watson.  She is busy seeding raisins for mincemeat and fruit-cake.”