uddenly the barking of a dog and men's voices roused me from my
meditations, and in another moment Kenneth Forsyth sprang over a stile
near, and approached me, in company with another young fellow about the
same age.

'Halloo!' was his exclamation as he perceived me; 'is it you, Miss
Thorn? And all by yourself, too? What a shame of the girls! Let me
introduce my friend, Captain Gates. You certainly have selected a cool
spot. May we share your retreat? We were just lamenting the heat, and
longing for a piece of shade.'

And, without waiting for my answer, he flung himself down on the grass
beside me, whilst Captain Gates lounged against a tree close by.

I was a little vexed at the interruption, and did not feel inclined to
stay there with them. Kenneth was at present almost a stranger to me.
He had a mischievous, quizzical intonation in his voice when he spoke
to me, and Violet, his youngest sister, a bright, merry schoolgirl of
fourteen, had confided in me the previous night that 'Kenneth was never
so happy as when he was teasing people, and that he took stock of every
one, and mimicked them--very often to their faces.'

I closed my little Bible quietly. My first impulse had been to hide
it, but I conquered that as being unworthy of a Christian, and then I
said brightly,--

'I have enjoyed this so much. You don't know what a pleasure it is,
after the grime and smoke and roar of London, to come to a place like
this. Your sisters wanted me to go with them this afternoon, but I was
a little tired, so came out here instead.'

'And are you fond of solitude?' inquired Captain Gates. 'Most girls
are not, I fancy.'

'I like it--sometimes,' I replied slowly.

'This afternoon, for instance,' Kenneth said, with a laugh. 'But too
much solitude is bad for the young, so we are breaking in upon it for a
good purpose. It makes them morbid and self-engrossed.'

I saw that his quick eyes had already noted my Bible, and was vexed to
feel my cheeks flushing.

'Miss Thorn's appearance is certainly not morbid,' said Captain Gates
good-naturedly; and as I looked up at him I met a frank, kindly glance
from his dark eyes.

'No, I am not morbid,' I said; 'I am very happy.'

'Ah!' put in Kenneth with a mock sigh, 'you are looking out at life
with inexperienced eyes at present, and everything has a roseate hue to
you. Your experience has yet to come!'

For some little time longer they stayed there with me laughing an