d forth together. Outside the
gate they came upon the vicar, and the three walked on together, as Mr.
Charrington intended calling at the Crow's Nest. Elizabeth had been
very silent all the way, and had left the conversation to the two
gentlemen. When Mr. Charrington had quitted them, they turned into the
long woodland path that skirted the valley. It was a beautiful spot,
and a favourite resort of Elizabeth's. She loved to breathe the spicy
incense of the pines, and to watch the shadows move across the valley.
As they seated themselves under a little clump of firs, they could look
down into the dark woods far below. All round them were heather,
bracken, whortleberries, and brambles, and later on the hillside would
be a glory of purple.

"Well, Elizabeth, what is it?" asked Mr. Carlyon, as she still sat
beside him in a brown study, and her brow puckered and lined with
thought. "I am sure I have been patient enough." Then she started and
laughed a little nervously.

"How stupid I am this afternoon! And I have so much to tell you. I am
so ashamed of myself, for I ought to be in such good spirits. The young
people have come to an understanding at last. Cedric and Anna have
written to Dinah; I left her crying for joy over their letters."

"I do not wonder at that--Miss Sheldon is a sweet girl."

"Cedric thinks she is perfect. I wish you could have seen his letter:
he is rapturously happy. And Anna writes so sweetly: she says it seems
like a dream; that she can hardly believe in her happiness; that she
does not deserve it, and that Cedric is everything that she could
desire."

"Ah, they are young--life does not seem long to them, does it,
Elizabeth?" She smiled and shook her head.

"Cedric is going to bring her down on Wednesday, and he wants Mr.
Herrick to come too. Dinah means to ask him, I believe. I tell her that
he is far too busy and important a personage to trouble with our small
family concerns; but Dinah was quite indignant when I said that."

"She has greater faith in his friendship, you see." But to this
Elizabeth made no answer. She went on talking with assumed eagerness of
the young couple.

"Cedric intends to be married soon," she said. "Mr. Strickland is going
to let them have the Priory, and has taken a cottage for his own use.
How charmed Anna will be when she sees it--the garden is a dream of
beauty, and the house is delightful!" For each summer she and Dinah had
spent weeks at the Priory, and had