And the gardener, with benign generosity, gathered some flowers for his young visitors. They thanked him with such thoroughly grateful thanks, and were so respectful of his superior knowledge, that this worthy functionary brightened under their influence. Sir Langham followed surprised and amused. He thought Marian’s simple ignorance of all those delicate splendid exotic flowers, as pretty as he would have thought her acquaintance with them had she been better instructed; and when one of her flowers fell from her hand, lifted it up with the air of a paladin, and placed it in his breast. Marian, though she had turned aside, _saw_ him do it by some mysterious perception--not of the eye--and blushed with a secret tremor, half of pleasure, half of amusement. Agnes regarded it a great deal more seriously. Agnes immediately discovered that it was time to go in. She was quite indifferent, we are grieved to say, to the fate of Sir Langham, and thought nothing of disturbing the peace of that susceptible young gentleman; but her protection and guardianship of Marian was a much more serious affair. Their windows were in the end of the house, and commanded no view--so Mrs Edgerley, with a hundred regrets, was grieved to tell them--but these windows looked over an orchard and a clump of chestnuts, where birds sang and dew fell, and the girls were perfectly contented with the prospect; they had three rooms--a dressing-room, and two pretty bedchambers--into all of which the morning sun threw a sidelong glance as he passed; and they had been extremely delighted with their pretty apartments last night. “Well!” said Agnes, as they arranged their flowers and put them in water, “everything is very pretty, May, but I almost wish we were at home.” “Why?” said Marian; but the beautiful sister had so much perception of the case, that she did not look up, nor show any particular surprise. “Why?--because--because people don’t understand what we are, nor who we belong to, nor how different---- Marian, you know quite well what is the cause!” “But suppose people don’t want to know?” said Marian, who was provokingly calm and at her ease; “we cannot go about telling everybody--no one cares. Suppose we were to tell Sir Langham, Agnes? He would think we meant that he has to come to Bellevue; and I am sure you would not like to see him there!” This was a very conclusive argument, but Agnes had made up her mind to be annoyed. “And there was Rachel,” said Agnes, “I wonder why just at that moment we should have thought of mamma--and now I am sure she will not speak to us again.” “Mamma did not think it quite proper,” said Marian doubtfully;--“I am sure I cannot tell why--but we were very near making up friendship without thinking; perhaps it is better as it is.”