“Weren’t you frightened when you saw the robber?” she asked, for her father had told her of Herbert’s adventure with the burglar.

“No,” said Herbert, “I did not feel afraid.”

“How brave you must be?” said Julia, with evident admiration.

“There was no need of my being frightened,” said Herbert, modestly.  “I was expecting him.”

“I know I should have been frightened to death,” said Julia, decidedly.

“You are a girl, you know,” said Herbert.  “I suppose it is natural for girls to be timid.”

“I don’t know but it is, but I am sure it is not natural to all boys to be brave.”

Herbert smiled.

“I was out in the country, one day, walking with Frank Percy,” proceeded Julia, “when a big, ugly-looking dog met us.  Frank, instead of standing by, and defending me, ran away as fast as his feet could carry him.  I laughed at him so much about it that he doesn’t like to come near me since that.”

“How did you escape?” asked Herbert, with interest.

“I saw there was no use in running away, so I patted him on the head, and called him ‘Poor dog,’ though I expected every minute he was going to bite me.  That calmed him down, and he went off without doing any harm.”

Herbert found Mrs. Godfrey to be a pleasant, motherly-looking lady, who received him kindly.  He felt that he should like it very much if she was his aunt, instead of Mrs. Stanton, whom he had never seen, and did not think he should care about meeting.

“What do you think of Tom Stanton?” asked Julia, “Of course, you know him—­the other boy in pa’s counting-room.”

“I am not very well acquainted with him yet,” said Herbert, evasively, for he did not care to say anything unfavorable of Tom.  “Do you know him?”

“Yes, he used to go to the same dancing school with me last winter.”

“Then you know him better than I do.”

“I don’t like him much,” said Julia.  “He’s always thinking of himself and his neckties.  He always came to dancing school in a different necktie; to let us know how many he had, I suppose.  Didn’t you notice his necktie?”

“It was pretty large, I thought,” said Herbert, smiling.

“Yes, he’s fond of wearing large ones.”

“I am afraid you are talking uncharitably, Julia,” said her mother, mildly.  “Girls, you know, are sometimes fond of dress.”

So the conversation drifted on to other topics.  Julia, at first, addressed our hero as Mr. Mason, until he requested her to call him Herbert, a request which she readily complied with.  They were soon on excellent terms, and appeared to be mutually pleased.

“Young people,” said Mr. Godfrey, after dinner, “there is to be an attractive concert at the Academy of Music this evening.  I secured seats this morning for four.  Suppose we all go?”

“I shall be delighted, for one, papa,” said Julia.  “You will like to go, Herbert, won’t you?”