“I'm afraid that is too far for you,” said Compton.

“Nothing is too far for me,” replied the ardent girl. “Why, how far is it?”

“More than half a mile.”

“Is it very big?”

“Immense.”

“Belong to the queen?”

“No, to papa.”

“Oh!”

And here my reader may well ask what was Lady Bassett about, or did Compton, with all his excellent teaching, conceal all this from his mother and his friend.

On the contrary, he went open-mouthed to her and told her he had seen such a pretty little girl, and gave her a brief account of their conversation.