alter his mind, and
every day he remained he found a greater difficulty in tearing himself
away.

The party were assembled in the evening in the drawing-room after Lady
Castleton's visit to Downside. Julia had had no opportunity of taking
the sketches on the lake she proposed.

"You promised to act as my boatman, Captain Headland."

He had not forgotten it, and they agreed to go the following morning.

Without being vain, Headland could not help discovering that Julia
seemed happy in his society. As she sang that evening he looked over
her music, and asked her to sing a ballad, which described the grief of
a maiden whose sailor lover had fallen in the hour of victory. Julia
hesitated, and tears sprung to her eyes as she turned them towards the
young officer, while he placed the music before her. She quickly
recovered herself, but he would have been blind had he not observed that
there was a tenderness in her manner towards him, though she apparently
was unaware of it.

After the ladies had retired, Harry invited Headland to take a stroll
through the grounds to enjoy the moonlight. Harry did not speak till
they had got to some distance from the house.

"You remember, Headland, the advice you gave me yesterday," he said at
length. "I would have followed it, much as it might have cost me, had I
found May indifferent to my affection, but she has confessed that she
loves me, and nothing shall prevent me from making her my wife. If you
saw her, you would agree that she is well worthy of the most devoted
love a man can give, and I will do my utmost to make her happy. There
may be opposition, but that I am resolved to overcome, unless she
herself changes her sentiments, and that, I think, is impossible. You,
I know, will stand my friend, whatever may occur."

"Of course I will, Harry, though I fear I can give you but little
assistance," said Headland. "I am very unwilling to run the risk of
hurting your feelings, but, my dear fellow, are you certain that the
mutual affection which you tell me exists is as deep on both sides as
you say? You were struck by the girl's beauty, and she is flattered by
your attentions. Perhaps if you were to be separated for a time, and
mixed in society, you would find them more evanescent than you are at
present disposed to believe possible."

"I am very certain that I love her as much as a man can love a woman,
and that I should be miserable if I were to be doomed to lose her,"