whirligig things,
talking to her young man as I came in. But I'll go if you wish, though
I'd rather go a hundred miles the other way.'

'Then please do so. I shall come to no harm alone.'

She left the house and entered the crowd which thronged the market-place,
where she soon discovered Anna, seated on the revolving horse. As soon
as it stopped Mrs. Harnham advanced and said severely, 'Anna, how can you
be such a wild girl? You were only to be out for ten minutes.'

Anna looked blank, and the young man, who had dropped into the
background, came to her assistance.

'Please don't blame her,' he said politely. 'It is my fault that she has
stayed. She looked so graceful on the horse that I induced her to go
round again. I assure you that she has been quite safe.'

'In that case I'll leave her in your hands,' said Mrs. Harnham, turning
to retrace her steps.

But this for the moment it was not so easy to do. Something had
attracted the crowd to a spot in their rear, and the wine-merchant's
wife, caught by its sway, found herself pressed against Anna's
acquaintance without power to move away. Their faces were within a few
inches of each other, his breath fanned her cheek as well as Anna's. They
could do no other than smile at the accident; but neither spoke, and each
waited passively. Mrs. Harnham then felt a man's hand clasping her
fingers, and from the look of consciousness on the young fellow's face
she knew the hand to be his: she also knew that from the position of the
girl he had no other thought than that the imprisoned hand was Anna's.
What prompted her to refrain from undeceiving him she could hardly tell.
Not content with holding the hand, he playfully slipped two of his
fingers inside her glove, against her palm. Thus matters continued till
the pressure lessened; but several minutes passed before the crowd
thinned sufficiently to allow Mrs. Harnham to withdraw.

'How did they get to know each other, I wonder?' she mused as she
retreated. 'Anna is really very forward--and he very wicked and nice.'

She was so gently stirred with the stranger's manner and voice, with the
tenderness of his idle touch, that instead of re-entering the house she
turned back again and observed the pair from a screened nook. Really she
argued (being little less impulsive than Anna herself) it was very
excusable in Anna to encourage him, however she might have contrived to
make his acquaintance; he was so gentlemanly,