. Rollo
lingered a little about the preliminaries; as if he liked
them.

'Mrs. Bywank tells me,' he said, 'that you have been eager all
summer for the riding you could not have. You must forgive
her,--she cannot help talking of you. Will you do me the honour
to let Jeannie Deans stand in your stable for the present, and
ride her with whomsoever you please to honour in that way.'

There was a little inarticulate cry of joy at that,--then
timidly,

'But, Mr. Rollo----'

'Well?' said he, softly.

'You might want her. And--if I rode with other people, they
might take me where you would not like her to go. Will you let
me ride her sometimes just by myself?' she said, glancing at
him and instantly away again.

'That is for your pleasure to say,' he returned lightly,
lifting her down. And then, detaining her slightly for just
half a second, he added, laughing,

'Please don't take Jeannie anywhere that I would not like her
to go!'

CHAPTER XXX.

THE WILL.

That night, and the next morning, Miss Kennedy had a fight
with herself, trying hard to regain her footing, which was
constantly swept away again by some new incoming tide of
thoughts. It looks an easy matter enough, to climb out once
more upon the ice through which you have broken; but when
piece after piece comes off in your hands, sousing you deeper
down than before, the thing begins to look serious. And in
this case the young lady began to get impatient.

'Such unmitigated nonsense!' she declared to herself, with her
cheeks on fire. But nevertheless said nonsense lifted its head
very cleverly from under all the negations she could pile upon
it; and indeed looked rather refreshed than otherwise by the
operation. How Mr. Falkirk had dimly hinted at such things,
long ago,--and how she had laughed at them! Was _this_ what he
had suggested her confiding to him?--Whereupon Miss Kennedy
brought herself up short.

'I should like to know what I have to confide!' she said. 'I
hope I am not quite a fool.' And with that she beat a retreat,
and rushed down-stairs, and gave Mr. Falkirk an extravaganza
of extra length and brilliancy for his breakfast; which,
however, it may be noted, did not include any particulars of
her ride. But when breakfast was over, Miss Kennedy for a
moment descended to business.

'By the way, sir, I should tell you, Mr. Rollo proposes to
leave one of his horses here, for me to use till my own come,--
if that extraordinary day ever ar