continued　with　charming　ardor；　though　with　imperfect　relevancy。
  She　smiled　at　the　two　gentlemen　for　a　moment　with　terrible　brightness；　as　if
  to　toss　at　their　feetupon　their　native　heaththe　gauntlet　of　defiance。
  〃For　me；　there　are　only　two　social　positions　worth　speaking　of
  that　of　an　American　lady　and　that　of　the　Emperor　of　Russia。〃
  〃And　what　do　you　do　with　the　American　gentlemen？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth。
  〃She　leaves　them　in　America！〃　said　Percy　Beaumont。
  On　the　departure　of　their　visitors；　Bessie　Alden　told　her　sister　that
  Lord　Lambeth　would　come　the　next　day；　to　go　with　them　to　the　Tower；
  and　that　he　had　kindly　offered　to　bring　his　〃trap〃　and　drive　them　thither。
  Mrs。　Westgate　listened　in　silence　to　this　communication；
  and　for　some　time　afterward　she　said　nothing。　　But　at　last；
  〃If　you　had　not　requested　me　the　other　day　not　to　mention　it；〃
  she　began；　〃there　is　something　I　should　venture　to　ask　you。〃
  Bessie　frowned　a　little；　her　dark　blue　eyes　were　more　dark　than　blue。
  But　her　sister　went　on。　　〃As　it　is；　I　will　take　the　risk。
  You　are　not　in　love　with　Lord　Lambeth：　　I　believe　it；　perfectly。
  Very　good。　　But　is　there；　by　chance；　any　danger　of　your　becoming　so？
  It's　a　very　simple　question；　don't　take　offense。　　I　have　a
  particular　reason；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；　〃for　wanting　to　know。〃
  Bessie　Alden　for　some　moments　said　nothing；　she　only　looked　displeased。
  〃No；　there　is　no　danger；〃　she　answered　at　last；　curtly。
  〃Then　I　should　like　to　frighten　them；〃　declared　Mrs。　Westgate；
  clasping　her　jeweled　hands。
  〃To　frighten　whom？〃
  〃All　these　people；　Lord　Lambeth's　family　and　friends。〃
  〃How　should　you　frighten　them？〃　asked　the　young　girl。
  〃It　wouldn't　be　Iit　would　be　you。　　It　would　frighten　them　to　think
  that　you　should　absorb　his　lordship's　young　affections。〃
  Bessie　Alden；　with　her　clear　eyes　still　overshadowed　by　her　dark　brows；
  continued　to　interrogate。　　〃Why　should　that　frighten　them？〃
  Mrs。　Westgate　poised　her　answer　with　a　smile　before　delivering　it。
  〃Because　they　think　you　are　not　good　enough。　　You　are　a　charming　girl；
  beautiful　and　amiable；　intelligent　and　clever；　and　as　bien…elevee
  as　it　is　possible　to　be；　but　you　are　not　a　fit　match　for　Lord　Lambeth。〃
  Bessie　Alden　was　decidedly　disgusted。　　〃Where　do　you　get　such　extraordinary
  ideas？〃　she　asked。　　〃You　have　said　some　such　strange　things　lately。
  My　dear　Kitty；　where　do　you　collect　them？〃
  Kitty　was　evidently　enamored　of　her　idea。　　〃Yes；　it　would
  put　them　on　pins　and　needles；　and　it　wouldn't　hurt　you。
  Mr。　Beaumont　is　already　most　uneasy；　I　could　soon　see　that。〃
  The　young　girl　meditated　a　moment。　　〃Do　you　mean　that　they　spy　upon　him
  that　they　interfere　with　him？〃
  〃I　don't　know　what　power　they　have　to　interfere；　but　I　know
  that　a　British　mama　may　worry　her　son's　life　out。〃
  It　has　been　intimated　that；　as　regards　certain　disagreeable　things；
  Bessie　Alden　had　a　fund　of　skepticism。　　She　abstained　on　the　present　occasion
  from　expressing　disbelief；　for　she　wished　not　to　irritate　her　sister。
  But　she　said　to　herself　that　Kitty　had　been　misinformedthat　this
  was　a　traveler's　tale。　　Though　she　was　a　girl　of　a　lively　imagination；
  there　could　in　the　nature　of　things　be；　to　her　sense；　no　reality　in
  the　idea　of　her　belonging　to　a　vulgar　category。　　What　she　said　aloud　was；
  〃I　must　say　that　in　that　case　I　am　very　sorry　for　Lord　Lambeth。〃
  Mrs。　Westgate；　more　and　more　exhilarated　by　her　scheme；　was　smiling
  at　her　again。　　〃If　I　could　only　believe　it　was　safe！〃　she　exclaimed。
  〃When　you　begin　to　pity　him；　I；　on　my　side；　am　afraid。〃
  〃Afraid　of　what？〃
  〃Of　your　pitying　him　too　much。〃
  Bessie　Alden　turned　away　impatiently；　but　at　the　end　of　a　minute　she
  turned　back。　　〃What　if　I　should　pity　him　too　much？〃　she　asked。
  Mrs。　Westgate　hereupon　turned　away；　but　after　a　moment's
  reflection　she　also　faced　her　sister　again。　　〃It　would　come；
  after　all；　to　the　same　thing；〃　she　said。
  Lord　Lambeth　came　the　next　day　with　his　trap；　and　the　two　ladies；
  attended　by　Willie　Woodley；　placed　themselves　under　his　guidance；
  and　were　conveyed　eastward；　through　some　of　the　duskier　portions
  of　the　metropolis；　to　the　great　turreted　donjon　which　overlooks
  the　London　shipping。　　They　all　descended　from　their　vehicle　and
  entered　the　famous　inclosure；　and　they　secured　the　services　of　a
  venerable　beefeater；　who；　though　there　were　many　other　claimants　for
  legendary　information；　made　a　fine　exclusive　party　of　them　and　marched
  them　through　courts　and　corridors；　through　armories　and　prisons。
  He　delivered　his　usual　peripatetic　discourse；　and　they　stopped　and　stared；
  and　peeped　and　stooped；　according　to　the　official　admonitions。
  Bessie　Alden　asked　the　old　man　in　the　crimson　doublet　a　great
  many　questions；　she　thought　it　a　most　fascinating　place。
  Lord　Lambeth　was　in　high　good　humor；　he　was　constantly　laughing；
  he　enjoyed　what　he　would　have　called　the　lark。　　Willie　Woodley　kept
  looking　at　the　ceilings　and　tapping　the　walls　with　the　knuckle
  of　a　pearl…gray　glove；　and　Mrs。　Westgate；　asking　at　frequent
  intervals　to　be　allowed　to　sit　down　and　wait　till　they　came　back；
  was　as　frequently　informed　that　they　would　never　come　back。
  To　a　great　many　of　Bessie's　questionschiefly　on　collateral
  points　of　English　historythe　ancient　warder　was　naturally
  unable　to　reply；　whereupon　she　always　appealed　to　Lord　Lambeth。
  But　his　lordship　was　very　ignorant。　　He　declared　that　he　knew　nothing
  about　that　sort　of　thing；　and　he　seemed　greatly　diverted　at　being
  treated　as　an　authority。
  〃You　can't　expect　everyone　to　know　as　much　as　you；〃　he　said。
  〃I　should　expect　you　to　know　a　great　deal　more；〃　declared　Bessie　Alden。
  〃Women　always　know　more　than　men　about　names　and　dates
  and　that　sort　of　thing；〃　Lord　Lambeth　rejoined。
  〃There　was　Lady　Jane　Grey　we　have　just　been　hearing　about；
  who　went　in　for　Latin　and　Greek　and　all　the　learning　of　her　age。〃
  〃YOU　have　no　right　to　be　ignorant；　at　all　events；〃　said　Bessie。
  〃Why　haven't　I　as　good　a　right　as　anyone　else？〃
  〃Because　you　have　lived　in　the　midst　of　all　these　things。〃
  〃What　things　do　you　mean？　　Axes；　and　blocks；　and　thumbscrews？〃
  〃All　these　historical　things。　　You　belong　to　a　historical　family。〃
  〃Bessie　is　really　too　historical；〃　said　Mrs。　Westgate；
  catching　a　word　of　this　dialogue。
  〃Yes；　you　are　too　historical；〃　said　Lord　Lambeth；　laughing；　but　thankful
  for　a　formula。　　〃Upon　my　honor；　you　are　too　historical！〃
  He　went　with　the　ladies　a　couple　of　days　later　to　Hampton　Court；
  Willie　Woodley　being　also　of　the　party。　　The　afternoon　was　charming；
  the　famous　horse　chestnuts　were　in　blossom；　and　Lord　Lambeth；
  who　quite　entered　into　the　spirit　of　the　cockney　excursionist；
  declared　that　it　was　a　jolly　old　place。　　Bessie　Alden　was　in　ecstasies；
  she　went　about　murmuring　and　exclaiming。
  〃It's　too　lovely；〃　said　the　young　girl；　〃it's　too　enchanting；
  it's　too　exactly　what　it　ought　to　be！〃
  At　Hampton　Court　the　little　flocks　of　visitors　are　not　provided
  with　an　official　bellwether；　but　are　left　to　browse　at　discretion
  upon　the　local　antiquities。　　It　happened　in　this　manner　that；
  in　default　of　another　informant；　Bessie　Alden；　who　on　doubtful
  questions　was　able　to　suggest　a　great　many　alternatives；　found　herself
  again　applying　for　intellectual　assistance　to　Lord　Lambeth。
  But　he　again　assured　her　that　he　was　utterly　helpless　in　such　matters
  that　his　education　had　been　sadly　neglected。
  〃And　I　am　sorry　it　makes　you　unhappy；〃　he　added　in　a　moment。
  〃You　are　very　disappointing；　Lord　Lambeth；〃　she　said。
  〃Ah；　now　don't　say　that；〃　he　cried。　　〃That's　the　worst　thing
  you　could　possibly　say。〃
  〃No；〃　she　rejoined；　〃it　is　not　so　bad　as　to　say　that　I　had　expected
  nothing　of　you。〃
  〃I　don't　know。　　Give　me　a　notion　of　the　sort　of　thing　you　expected。〃
  〃Well；〃　said　Bessie　Alden；　〃that　you　would　be　more　what　I　should　like　to　be
  what　I　should　try　to　bein　your　place。〃
  〃Ah；　my　place！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Lambeth。　　〃You　are　always　talking
  about　my　place。！〃
  The　young　girl　looked　at　him；　he　thought　she　colored　a　little；
  and　for　a　moment　she　made　no　rejoinder。
  〃Does　it　strike　you　that　I　am　always　talking　about　your　place？〃　she　asked。
  〃I　am　sure　you　do　it　a　great　honor；〃　he　said；　fearing　he　had　been　uncivil。
  〃I　have　often　thought　about　it；〃　she　went　on　after　a　moment。
  〃I　have　often　thought　about　your　being　a　hereditary　legislator。
  A　hereditary　legislator　ought　to　know　a　great　many　things。〃
  〃Not　if　he　doesn't　legislate。〃
  〃But　you　do　legislate；　it's　absurd　your　saying　you　don't。　You　are　very　much
  looked　up　to　hereI　am　assured　of　that。〃
  〃I　don't　know　that　I　ever　noticed　it。〃
  〃It　is　because　you　are　used　to　it；　then。　　You　ought　to　fill　the　place。〃
  〃How　do　you　mean　to　fill　it？〃　asked　Lord　Lambeth。
  〃You　ought　to　be　very　clever　and　brilliant；　and　to　know　almost　everything。〃
  Lord　Lambeth　looked