Vanilla" to come and make his home with them while in town, and that
he had consented to let her send Simon at once for his trunk.

"If it will be agreeable to my little friend to have me here?" Mr.
Travilla said, taking her hand in his with the affectionate, fatherly
manner she had always liked so much in him.

Her face flushed slightly, but she answered without an instant's
hesitation that she hoped he would come.

The horses were already at the gate, Egerton was seen crossing the
street, and Lottie came tripping in at a side entrance. She had heard
a good deal of Mr. Travilla from Elsie, and seemed pleased to make his
acquaintance.

Egerton came in, he and Mr. Travilla exchanged the coldest and most
distant of salutations, and the party set off; Mr. Travilla riding by
Elsie's side, Egerton and Lottie following a little in their rear.

Finding it almost a necessity to devote himself to Miss King for
the time being, Egerton! took a sudden resolution to make a partial
confidante of her, hoping thus to secure a powerful ally. He told her
of the state of affairs between Elsie and himself, of Mr. Travilla's
"attack upon him;" how "utterly mistaken" it was, and how he presumed
"the mistake" had occurred; giving the story he had told Elsie of the
cousin who bore so strong a likeness to him, and so bad a character.
He professed the most ardent, devoted affection for Elsie, and the
most torturing fears lest her father, crediting him with his cousin's
vices, should forbid the match and crush all his hopes.