fact, I should say permit no love-mak-
ing."

"I-permit love-making!" said Jes-
sica, in tones of the greatest disgust;
and they discussed further details of
the scheme, deciding that Miss Wil-
liams might retain her own name, as
she was unimportant and the name was
common, and the wearer's confidence
in it would gain credit for them both.

My dear," said the chaperon, "this whole plan is very naughty. Are you serious about it?"

"I am most serious," replied Jessica. "I mean to do it."

Flora looked hard at her friend, and then they both dissolved into delightful laughter; under the influence of which the plan became a resolution fixed as the law of the Medes and Persians.

a

The landing at Tangier was a little alarming to the two English girls, unprepared for the half-naked and noisy Moors, who bustled them into a boat, rowed violently ashore, and incessantly clamored for "twelve dollars." Presently they were dragged before superbly robed, white-bearded-and-turbaned gentleman, presumably a customs officer, who sat in the mud and ordered all portmanteaux to be opened and instantaneously shut up again. His perceptive powers must have been phenomenal in quickness; supernaturally quick also were the five men who, the moment the perfunctory examination was over, snatched up the portmanteaux and ran away with them through the town and up the hill of the Soko, pursued by the panting maidens under the noisy escort of an enormous negro.

Three days later the maiden ladies who called each other Williams and Williams and Talbot nearly Talbot crossed from Europe to Africa. fainted with relief when they found They had slept one night at Gib, in the themselves and all their goods deposhotel at the Europa Point, and had ited in unexpected safety on the floor walked about that queer medley of a of Bruzeaud's Hotel; where rooms town, and bought lace from Emilia were awaiting them, and English was Birch, and sought in vain for the tail-spoken, and five o'clock tea was the less monkeys. Talbot had a notion that order of the day. Anomalous civilizaJohn Farquhar might have returned to tion! the Rock, and whenever they passed a haughty English officer, she pinched Flora's arm and whispered, "Oh dear! Williams, could that be he?" And Flora, being young herself and as yet rather starved in the matter of love affairs, was secretly much excited too, and would not for the world have abandoned the search for the captain.

"I have it!" gasped Flora, "that black cannibal and his horde were sent by Monsieur Bruzeaud to meet us! Why couldn't they say so?"

Jessica was leaning out of the window, smiling at the purple sea and the flat white town and the aloes and the cactus on the slope below the hotel.

"Have you only just thought of that,

IV.

"Do you know, Williams," she said, At last they embarked in the Her-"I dare say papa would not like our cules paddle-boat, and steamed away to having come alone to a place of this Tangier; and the voyage was not pleas- sort." ant, for the sea was rough, and the Hercules is small, and on this occasion my dear Talbot?" said Flora. crowded with Moors and Jews, all very seasick. Some first-class passengers there were, however: an elderly lady with a husband; a lonely man in a slouch-hat; a thin and strong-minded Mrs. Geoffrey Cobbe, whose name was emblazoned on all her luggage; and lastly, a young officer from Gib, with whom she conversed persistently. Jessica was rather seasick, and noticed none of these people much.

THE FINDING OF THE FIANCE.

"WILLIAMS," whispered Jessica, as she and her friend took their places at dinner, "do you see at the far end of the table a bald man with his mother? That is John."

"How do you know?" asked Flora, cautiously adjusting her spy-glass. "I am sure of it. The lady wears

black, and the man is of papa's gener- | hair grew on her forehead, and the ation, and is exactly my idea of John." dainty droop of her eyelashes, and the 66 But, my dear Talbot, that man is fresh bloom on her smooth young not only of your father's generation | cheeks. Once Jessica, suddenly raisbut of your father's age; and, to be ing her eyes, caught him looking at plain with you, it is not my idea of her much more directly and earnestly John at all." than was necessary. He turned away

"I don't mind betting half-a-crown with the hurry of guilt and flushed a it is he."

"Done!" said Flora.

little; and Jessica, seeing that, felt that she also had done something unAt this moment the vacant chair necessary, and blushed furiously; and beside Jessica became occupied by for a minute there were two red faces the young officer who had danced at- and silence, and they ate their carameltendance on Mrs. Cobbe. The latter, pudding diligently, with their eyes on after the manner of strong-minded their plates. After which both adladies, had been gay enough during dressed themselves pointedly to Wilthe rough passage, but had fallen sick liams. upon landing, and now was not at table. The gentleman slipped into his chair, and began his soup without looking at his neighbors. But the father of a large Irish family on his left leaned across twin sons to shake hands with him, saying in a hearty Irish voice :

"Well, me dear bhoy, and I'm glad to see ye back agen. And how's the patient ?”

"Oh, better, sir, thank you," answered the new-comer. "I wanted her to come down to dinner, but perhaps she is wiser not." And then, as if undesirous of encouraging the hearty gentleman, he opened a conversation with Jessica of the usual colorless tabled'hôte sort.

"I saw you on the Hercules this afternoon," he said. Nasty little cockle-shell, isn't she? Have you been touring iu Spain ?" And Jessica replied with brightening eyes, for she liked a young man to talk to, as what girl does not? They had quite a pleasant chat; and now and then she glanced contemptuously at the supposed John Farquhar at the table-end, and wished he would look at her and see how agreeable she could be to a genial companion.

Now the young gentleman had already on the Hercules observed that his present neighbor and her friend were extremely pretty girls; and as he talked to Jessica he looked at her very often, and noticed the pretty way her

"Yes," explained Flora, "we have come to Tangier to study the climate. Miss Talbot's mother wants to try this coast next winter. We told her Algiers was hackneyed, so we have come here to pioneer. She has been spending this winter in Rome."

Jessica marvelled at Flora's mendacious glibness.

"Tangier has a nice climate," said the young man. I should think your friend would like it." He glanced at Jessica again. "Your mother is not an invalid, I hope ?" he said a little bluntly, but with a softened voice, as if he liked talking to Jessica, and, moreover, as if he knew something of invalids as well as of climates.

"Not exactly," said Jessica, mustering up all her knowledge of Lady Monastereven, "but her lungs are a little affected. She cannot live comfortably in the north."

"Ah ! " Flora again.

He turned resolutely to "But what travellers

you Americans are !”

"Why must we be Americans ? " asked she.

"Are you not Americans?" said the gentleman, covering his confusion with a laugh, and meeting Flora's frank gaze admiringly.

"You think us Americans," said Jessica boldly, "because we are travelling alone."

"I dare say that put it into my head first."

"You have not risen to the occa

sion," said Flora; "you should have | sort of women for money. Williams,
said, no; but because you wear Pa- dear, I don't want to annoy you, but
risian frocks and speak such pure En- you did look too charming at Mr.
Cobbe for the second half of dinner.
glish."
I gave you leave to snuff me out for
John Farquhar, but you needn't grudge
me a married man like Mr. Cobbe for

"Williams!" said Jessica expostu-
latingly.

The young man smiled, but felt
rather afraid of Flora, and in his heart | five minutes, I do think."
drew nearer to Jessica.

"As for our travelling alone," con-
tinued Flora, "that is nothing. It is a
way we Girton girls have."

"Girton?"

"Yes.. Did you never hear of Girton?"

"I am glad you liked Mr. Cobbe," said Flora calmly.

In the morning it was discovered that Jessica had lost her bet. The elderly man proved to be a German named Althaus, and the betrothed maid paid up her half-crown with the "Oh yes. They wear blue stockings greatest cheerfulness. Then they put there, don't they? Would it be indis- on their hats, and, furnished with a creet to inquire if you - and Miss Tal-guide (a handsome personage, dressed

bot-have them on now?"

"I never could get a pair to fit me,"
sighed Flora.
"I am a duffer-got
plucked all round. But Miss Talbot is
a real blue-stocking. She is going in
for moral philosophy."

The young officer stole a glance at
Jessica, who was very pink, and half
amused, half annoyed.

"I am afraid you are not entirely to be trusted," he said, smiling.

if ing

Dinner over, the girls escaped to their rooms, for the salon was swarming with the Irish family. They laughed, and laughed, and laughed, as only very young people can, and Jes78. sica wanted to write it all down in a journal. Then, still with dimpling cheeks, she heaved up a sigh and said, "I tell you, Williams, John is that horrid-looking elderly man at the end of the table."

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Flora nearly closed her eyes, and gazed through her lids at the ceiling. "I should sooner suppose him our acquaintance at dinner," she said dryly. Up jumped Jessica.

"My dear girl! That man is Mr. Geoffrey Cobbe didn't you hear him say his wife was better, but not able for dinner? She was looking very green when we landed. I saw that."

in a brown hooded blanket over a white one), they went out to see Tangier. But first, in the hall, they passed Mrs. Cobbe, all alone and looking put out; and then their dinner acquaintance of the previous evening. A lady was leaning on his arm-a frail, sweetfaced lady of forty-five, dressed as a widow.

"Will you sit on the verandah, mother?" the young man was saying very gently.

"That is Mr. Cobbe," said Jessica obstinately, as they passed out; "how his wife frowns at her mother-in-law. And, Williams, it is curious how much less nice he looks himself this morning. I thought him handsome last night. Now I see he is plain, quite plain, and with a stupid sort of manner."

In this she persisted. Several times in the course of the day they ran up against the young man, and always Jessica found some hole to pick in him. His clothes were rough; his eyes were green; he was over-tall; he talked too much; he talked too little. He stared; he was conceited; dull ; "Then I suppose she was au heir- empty-headed; meek; tied to his ess !" cried Jessica; men marry any mother's apron-strings. Hourly she

"I heard nothing about a wife," said Flora, "and, Talbot, that man is ten ad years younger than Mrs. Cobbe."

professed to dislike him more; yet | friend is Williams and you are Talhourly, so Flora observed, she increased bot."

Neither do I like her, Williams," "Williams," she groaned, but with said Jessica; "she is insipid. Just sparkling eyes, "it is all up with me. what all married women become. The You were quite right. John is that mind never grows after marriage. odious young man who was so attentive Some day, Williams, I shall be like to Mrs. Cobbe that I thought him her that. And you will be cultivated, husband." beautiful, and intellectual, like dear Miss Snow."

Mrs. Farquhar dreamily. Then she | Talbot, but on the whole he divided his checked herself. "I don't know what attentions pretty equally between her