afternoon, and meet you at the hill.'

'Why, here is our dear Duchess!' cried Kitty Fisher, rushing
up. 'And where is the--ahem!--Mr. Rollo, I am delighted to see
you. Miss Kennedy, allow me to present Sir Henry Crafton.'

Wych Hazel bowed, and turning towards Mr. Rollo, remarked that
if she was to come back, she must go. Rollo was also invited
to Beacon Hill, but excused himself; and he and Wych Hazel
left the others, to go forward to find their horses.

On the ride home he made himself particularly pleasant;
talking about matters which he contrived to present in very
entertaining fashion; ignoring the people and the insinuations
they had left behind them in the Hollow, and drawing Wych
Hazel, so far as he could, into a free meeting of him on
neutral ground. They had another run through the lane; a good
trot over the highway; and when they had entered the gate of
Chickaree and were slowly mounting the hill, he spoke in
another tone.

'Miss Hazel, don't you think you have done enough for to-day?'

'Made a good beginning.'

'Twenty-four miles on horseback--and a cotton mill! That is
enough for one day, isn't it, for you?'

'Twenty-four, is it?' she said carelessly. 'Call it four, and
my feeling will not contradict you.'

'Very well. I want your feeling to remain in the same healthy
condition.'

'It always does.'

'Beacon Hill will not run away. Leave that for another time.
It is a good day's work for you, that alone. Suppose we go
there to-morrow?' said Rollo coolly, looking at his companion.

'Well--if I like it well enough to-day.'

Dane was silent, probably feeling that his duty as Miss
Kennedy's guardian was in the way of doing him very frequent
disservice. However he was not a man to be swayed by that
consideration. He came close alongside of Jeannie Deans and
looked hard in Wych Hazel's face as he spoke,

'Do you think Mr. Falkirk would be willing to have you go to-
day?'

'Why, of course!'

'I think he would not. And I think he ought not.'

'Mr. Falkirk never interferes with my strength or my fatigue!--'

'I shall not ask him. I take the matter on my own
responsibility.'

She had thrown her veil back for a minute, and leaving the
bridle on Jeannie's neck, both little hands were busy with
some wind-disturbed rings of hair. She put them down now and
looked round at him,--a look of great beauty; the girlish
questioning eyes too busy with him, for the moment, to be
afraid. Could he mean th