'What do you take to be the promise of things here, at present, Mr. Falkirk?' 'Quite beside the question, Miss Hazel. Am I to tell this man you don't want the house in Fiftieth street?' 'I should prefer another house, I think,' said Hazel gravely. 'Mr. Falkirk, I had a letter from Kitty Fisher this morning, and she sends you her love.' Mr. Falkirk gave an inarticulate grumble. 'You may throw it back to her, my dear; her own love is all she cares about; and as I don't care about it, we are suited. Do I understand that you wish me to look for another house, then?' 'I did hint at Europe,'—said Wych Hazel. 'But if it amuses you to look for houses, sir, I have no sort of objection.' Mr. Falkirk laid down his knife and fork, and looked across the table. 'It don't amuse me to look for anything in a fog, my dear. Do you want to go to Europe?' 'O well, we need not go this week, sir! Shall I invite all the neighbourhood to a grand chestnutting, when Kitty Fisher comes?' 'Miss Hazel, that girl is not proper company for you. I hope you will not ask her to help in your merrymakings; she understands nothing but a romp. And, my dear, if you know your own mind I wish you would be so kind as to let me know it. To go to Europe this fall, you must be off in three weeks at latest. Have you spoken to Rollo about it?' 'Truly, I have not!' said Wych Hazel, with a glow which however Mr. Falkirk charged to displeasure. 'Did you ever know me speak to him about anything connected with my own affairs, sir?' 'I don't know, my dear. He has a word to say concerning them. Do you wish me to sound him on the subject, then?' 'Did you ever succeed in "sounding" him, sir? on any subject?' said the young lady, consulting her watch, and with all her senses on the alert for interruptions. What were 'business' hours at Morton Hollow, she wondered? Then she rose up, and passing round to Mr. Falkirk, gave him a smile that was very sweet and not a bit teasing. 'I must go and rest, sir. I find sitting up tires me to-day. But you will come to dinner?' She went off with that quick step, betaking herself to the crimson room; for to-day Hazel seemed to prefer high-coloured surroundings. There sat for awhile before the great picture, thinking of many things; and there, still down on her foot cushion, laid her head in one of the easy chairs and went to sleep; with the gray cat dozing and purring in the same chair, close by her head. Only the cat's eyelashes were not wet, and Wych Hazel's were. CHAPTER VI. A MAN AND HIS MONEY. It is a pity somebody had not come to see; and somebody would, only that Rollo had a good many things to attend to just now besides his own pleasure. Instead, when the morning was half over, came Miss Phinney Powder, and the sleep and the attitude were broken up. Hazel went to her in the drawing-room.