"Oh, no, Aunt Faith, the future is mine too. How glorious, how bright it looks! You will be proud of your nephew some day." "I am proud of him now," said Aunt Faith, with an affectionate smile; "but I want to feel secure as to his safety. Oh, Hugh! if you could only say in perfect sincerity these two sentences: 'Lord I believe; help Thou mine unbelief,' and 'Lord be merciful to me a sinner,' I should rest content." "Well, Aunt Faith, when I can say them with all my heart, I will tell you first of all." "God grant that it may be soon," and then Hugh left her. Bessie was still busy with her painting when she heard a tap at the door. "Is it you, Hugh?" she said; "I am so glad you have come back. I cannot get the exact color of your eyes. Sit down, please, and let me try again." Hugh sat down in the old arm-chair, and for some minutes he said nothing; at last, however, he burst forth, "Bessie, shall we not tell Aunt Faith about the horseback-riding." "Oh, Hugh! and give up all our fun?" "I do so hate hypocrisy, Bessie; and here I have been rating away against Gideon Fish without even a thought that all the time I myself was deceiving Aunt Faith." "I don't call that hypocrisy, Hugh." "What is hypocrisy, then?" "A hypocrite is a person who pretends to be very good, and I am sure you never pretended to be good at all." Hugh laughed; "That is true," he said "but I hate all underhand dealings." "But you won't tell, Hugh? Please don't." "_Et tu Brute_?" "And don't quote Latin either." "I only meant that you should help my good intentions instead of thwarting them," said Hugh. "I am not good myself, Hugh, and never was." "Oh, yes, you are, Brownie." "No, I am not. I have been expelled twice." "I believe it is your nature to be naughty, Bessie." "I don't know about that, Hugh; but, at any rate, I ought to have some allowances made because I am so homely. It is easy to be good if one happens to be good-looking too. Everybody loves beautiful children, everybody admires beautiful girls; people are predisposed to like them, and make the best of everything they do. Beauty is of little consequence to a boy, but it makes or mars many a girl. I presume, now, if my nose had been Grecian, and my complexion lily fair, I should have been far more amiable." Hugh laughed merrily at this tirade. "But, Brownie," he said, "_I_ have always thought you pretty." A shade of color rose in Bessie's dark cheek "Thank you, cousin," she said quickly, "you are kind to say so. But your real taste is for a very different style; a dove-eyed blonde, fair as a lily, and gentle as Griselda." "Like Edith Chase, I suppose," said Hugh, with a merry twinkle in his eye. "Well, a man might do worse. I venture to say the fair Edith never took a horseback-ride after dark in her life." "Certainly not; is she not a pattern?" said Bessie sharply. "And, by the way, Hugh, of course you will give me my ride to-night."