Part 15 (1/2)

It was certainly a curious life, but quite natural, when a busy hts to business, and but little attention to his faht she must have died in India Yet she was not sure Of all this, however, she expected to hear when she reached home and met her father

By the time that she had been a month on board Brandon knew ehich she looked forward to awith her father He learned that she had a brother, also, whom she had never seen, for her father kept his son with hi with inexpressible pity on one so lovely, yet so neglected

Otherwise, as far as mere money was concerned, she had never suffered

Her accomplishments were numerous She was passionately fond of music, and was familiar with all the classic compositions Her voice was finely trained, for she had enjoyed the advantage of the instructions of an Italianas band-iment She could speak French fluently, and had read al out all this Brandon had not found out her name

Embarrass, fro about it Brandon did not like to ask her abruptly, since he saw that she did not respond to his hints

So he conjectured and wondered He thought that her name must be of the lordliest kind, and that she for some reason wished to keep it a secret: perhaps she was noble, and did not like to tell that name which had been stained by the occupations of trade All this Brandon thought

Yet as he thought this, he was not insensible to the music of her soft, low voice, the liquid tenderness of her eye, and the charm of her manner She seemed at once to confide herself to him--to own the superiority of his nature and seek shelter in it Circumstances threw them exclusively into one another's way, and they found each other so congenial that they took advantage of circumstances to the utmost

There were others as well as Brandon who found it aard not to have any naood Captain After calling her Ma'am and Miss indifferently for about a month he at last determined to ask her directly; so, one day at the dinner-table, he said:

”Iyour pardon, ma'am; but I do not know your name, and have never had a chance to find it out If it's no offense, perhaps you would be so good as to tell it?”

The young lady thus addressed flushed cri fixedly on his plate, and with visible embarrassment said, very softly, ”Beatrice”

”B A Treachy,” said the Captain ”Ah! I hope, Miss Treachy, you will pardon ”

A faint smile crossed the lips of Brandon But Beatrice did not shtened, and then said:

”Oh, that is only my Christian name!”

”Christian name!” said the Captain ”How can that be a Christian name?”

”My surname is--” She hesitated, and then, with an effort, pronounced the word ”Potts”

”'Potts!'” said the Captain, quickly, and with evident surprise

”Oh--well, I hope you will excuse me”

But the face of Beatrice turned to an ashen hue as she marked the effect which the mention of that na at his plate like one involved in thought As he heard the naht at the table to steady himself He then rose abruptly with a cloud upon his brow, his lips firly transforain for a week He pleaded illness, shut himself in his state-room, and was seen by no one but Cato

Beatrice could not help associating this change in Brandon with the knowledge of her name That name was hateful to herself A fastidious taste had prevented her fro to tell it; and as no one asked her directly it had not been known And now, since she had told it, this was the result

For Brandon's conduct she could iine only one cause He had felt shocked at such a plebeian name

The fact that she herself hated her name, and saw keenly how ridiculously it sounded after such a nanant with Brandon ”His own naht, bitterly, ”is plebeian--not so bad as mine, it is true, yet still it is plebeian Why should he feel so shocked at mine?” Of course, she knew hiined that I had so my true one, has lost his illusion He formerly esteemed me He now despises me”

Beatrice was cut to the heart; but she was too proud to show any feeling whatever She frequented the quarter-deck as before; though now she had no coood-natured Captain and the nant she felt Her outraged pride made sadness impossible

Brandon reether When at length he made his appearance on the quarter-deck he found Beatrice there, who greeted him with a distant bow