The relief that it was to Bessie to have this accomplished canscarcely be told.

"0h!" she exclaimed to herself, "I'll never, never, never again let anyone tell me a secret which I may not tell to mamma and Maggie,especially mamma."

The concealment and the management to obtain her object withoutrevealing it had been more of a cross to her than can well beimagined, unaccustomed as she was to anything of the kind.

CHAPTER VIII.