cept of the mu

orning and to da

So

and the ladies of Miss Pescod's clan, who were inclined to regard her as a poor relation, a mere housekeeper, and to treat her as a person of no great account. On the other hand, the majority of the merrymakers deemed her, no doubt, a sti

e from the mossy bank; by and by the procession dried up, so to speak, altogether. She understood the reason when a drum began to bang overhead behind the woods and passed

some way up the slope, startled and brought her to a halt. But no; the noise passed along the ridge towar

y enough he had pulled across to the farther shore to bear a hand in what Troy euphemistically called the "salvage" of the long-boats' cargoes. Happy in her solitude, rejoicing in her extended liberty, Miss

he upland by the Devil's Hedge, here leapt the low cliff and fell on a pebbly beach, driving the pebbles before it and by their attrition wearing out for itself a natural basin. Encountering a low ridge of ro

e to the stream and seated herself on a fallen log, to consider. For the ground o

chattered the fall. Why should she wend farther? She must be gre

from some near garden, though she had heard that the flower grew wild in these woods. Miss Marty gazed at the flowers, which s

hoes. Then she dre

raced across the stream and clutched at a handful of the columbines.

ly. Miss Marty glanced up at him, then at a clearing of green turf underneath his b

n, stepped on to the green turf, and

n that M

ed in t

for me a pr

ils of the

! Whoo

ears at the sound of a distant horn and darts away to the covert, so did Miss Marty pause, an

em, and one stocking on the rank grass cl

panic. Could she have dropped it into the stream in

through a screen of hazels. Parting these, she peered through them, to judge the distance between her and the pool and see if any tr

having, kneeling beside the pool and using it for a mirror; for one half of his face was yet lathered, and his haversack lay open on the stones by the water's edge beside his shako and a tin cup under which he had lit a sm

llenged. "A hap

Miss Marty cov

out to dry on

ck to me. Yes, ple

wered the Doctor. "You can't possibl

I'd r

to you in a minute or so. But just wait a little; for you w

is too slippery.... But I can look the

posture. "Now, to my mind," he went on in the intervals of finishing his toilet, "the

as done," confessed Miss Marty.

ng his blade, "I cannot endure to fe

the spirit-lamp, emptied the tin cup on the stone

please!" Miss

stooping and examining it. "Let me help

I cou

e ashamed of them, Miss Marty," the Doctor assured her gallantl

a slight blush and a nod in the direction of the shou

e nice observation with which your modesty credits them. Good Lord!-now you mention it-what a racket! I sincerely trust they will not arouse Sir Felix, whose temper

ing, with a catch of her breath. "I f

f the slope, and lowered her to the beach. "There, now, if you will sit absolut

rning with a pair of tweezers, too

or-other and the lion? Though it couldn't have been Andrew really, because there are no lions in Scotland-except, I believe, on their shield. He was hiding for some reason i

en to set it for dictation. I had, I remember, the sam

t is a coincidence, isn't it? I sometimes think th

ss Marty, with a glance across the river. "Did I

plet

is a wond

ng, when two minds are, a

in everything

a rare

res the restrictions of our narrow sphere. I mean," Miss Marty went on, as the Doctor li

.. I supposed for a moment that you were

he woods someone had begun to beat a tattoo on the drum. Present

ed the Doctor, anxiously. "I can't think what Hymen's about, to

er bare foot impatiently on the pebbles; but, r

ly. "I merely say that he is allowin

puts it, 'ride on the whirlwind and direct th

e lifted and felt it carefully-"will be dry in five minutes or so. Shall

up with a qu

g to a butterfly which wavered past them and poised its

now!... Is he gone?... Yes.... No, I have him!" he called, as with a swift wave of his arm h

panted Mi

p while I lift the brim..

hako. She dropped on her knees. The Doctor was kneeling already. He sh

Miss Marty

help it," sa

She buried her face in both hands

r face and, their hiding being denied her, she leant her brow

irmly by both wrists, he looked once into her eyes, led her to

across the river had ceased. They heard only the splash of the small waterfall a

the rower hove into view, pulling up-stream as if for dear life. It was Cai Tamblyn. Catching sight of them,

alled to the Doctor. "They s

as there been

gside, glanced at Miss Ma

The Band in partikler's as drunk as Chloe, an' what with horning and banging under her ladyship's window, they've a-scared her before

ht up his haversack. "The Millen

at him with innoc

this the Millen