ith what photographers usually
ask for--'just the faint beginning of a smile,'--turned and gathered a
bit of white heather growing near.

"They say it brings good luck, miss," he remarked, handing it to Freda.

"Thank you," she said, laughing, "I hope it will bring it to me. At
any rate it will remind me of this beautiful island. Isn't it just like
Paradise, Mr. Wharncliffe?"

"For me it is like Paradise before Eve was created," I replied, rather
wickedly. "By the bye, are you going to keep all the good luck to
yourself?"

"I don't know," she said laughing. "Perhaps I shall; but you have only
to ask the gardener, he will gather you another piece directly."

I took good care to drop behind, having no taste for the third-fiddle
business; but I noticed when we were in the gig once more, rowing back
to the yacht, that the white heather had been equally divided--one half
was in the waist-band of the blue serge dress, the other half in the
button-hole of Derrick's blazer.

So the fortnight slipped by, and at length one afternoon we found
ourselves once more in Southampton Water; then came the bustle of
packing and the hurry of departure, and the merry party dispersed.
Derrick and I saw them all off at the station, for, as his father's ship
did not arrive till the following day, I made up my mind to stay on with
him at Southampton.

"You will come and see us in town," said Lady Probyn, kindly. And Lord
Probyn invited us both for the shooting at Blachington in September. "We
will have the same party on shore, and see if we can't enjoy ourselves
almost as well," he said in his hearty way; "the novel will go all the
better for it, eh, Vaughan?"

Derrick brightened visibly at the suggestion. I heard him talking to
Freda all the time that Sir John stood laughing and joking as to the
comparative pleasures of yachting and shooting.

"You will be there too?" Derrick asked.

"I can't tell," said Freda, and there was a shade of sadness in her
tone. Her voice was deeper than most women's voices--a rich contralto
with something striking and individual about it. I could hear her quite
plainly; but Derrick spoke less distinctly--he always had a bad trick of
mumbling.

"You see I am the youngest," she said, "and I am not really 'out.'
Perhaps my mother will wish one of the elder ones to go; but I half
think they are already engaged for September, so after all I may have a
chance."

Inaudible remark from my friend.

"Yes, I