"When did you see her?" asked Maurice, with a twinge of jealousy.
"Last evening."
This made Maurice feel very uncomfortable. Bessie had grown very pretty, and he admired her more than ever, but with a strange perversity, as he thought, she didn't appear to reciprocate the feeling. On the other hand, she appeared to care a good deal more for Gilbert's society than for that of Maurice. It came to him now, with a feeling of joy, that when Gilbert was away Bessie would naturally turn to him for companionship.
"I think I shall go up there this evening myself," he said. (It must be explained that Maurice no longer boarded at his uncle's.) "If you have any message to send, I can take it."
"Give Bessie my love," said Gilbert, a little mischievously, knowing that Maurice would never carry such a message.
"I will remember you to Miss Benton," said Maurice, with dignity.
"Oh! don't take the trouble," said Gilbert, carelessly; "it isn't at all necessary."
"Then I won't."
"Just as you please."
"I never saw such an amount of cheek in my life," said Maurice to himself. "I've a great mind to drop a hint to Bessie. She notices him altogether too much."