both for her looks and for her talent. She was proud to think that she
would hand over to Arthur Burdon a woman whose character she had helped
to form, and whose loveliness she had cultivated with a delicate care.

Susie knew, partly from fragments of letters which Margaret read to her,
partly from her conversation, how passionately he adored his bride; and
it pleased her to see that Margaret loved him in return with a grateful
devotion. The story of this visit to Paris touched her imagination.
Margaret was the daughter of a country barrister, with whom Arthur had
been in the habit of staying; and when he died, many years after his
wife, Arthur found himself the girl's guardian and executor. He sent her
to school; saw that she had everything she could possibly want; and when,
at seventeen, she told him of her wish to go to Paris and learn drawing,
he at once consented. But though he never sought to assume authority over
her, he suggested that she should not live alone, and it was on this
account that she went to Susie. The preparations for the journey were
scarcely made when Margaret discovered by chance that her father had died
penniless and she had lived ever since at Arthur's entire expense. When
she went to see him with tears in her eyes, and told him what she knew,
Arthur was so embarrassed that it was quite absurd.

'But why did you do it?' she asked him. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I didn't think it fair to put you under any obligation to me, and I
wanted you to feel quite free.'

She cried. She couldn't help it.

'Don't be so silly,' he laughed. 'You own me nothing at all. I've done
very little for you, and what I have done has given me a great deal of