differently towards Will from the day when he had, as she thought,
saved her life, and when he had ridden home with her foot in his hand.
A strange feeling of attraction had inclined her towards him, all the
romance in her nature, which had been stunted and checked by the
manoeuvres and manners of country "society," turned towards this
stalwart "son of the soil" who had so unexpectedly crossed her path.
She had not thought it possible that her romantic dreams could be
realised; such things were not for her! In her case everything was to
be sacrificed to the duty of "making a good match," of settling herself
advantageously in the world, but now what did she hear? "I will do
everything for him," surely that meant "I will make him my heir!" For
wealth and position for their own sakes she cared not a straw, but
Will's "prospects," the sickening word that had been dinned into her
ears for years, began to arouse a deep interest in her mind. Her heart
told her that he was not entirely indifferent to her, and experience
had taught her that when she laid herself out to please she never
failed to do so. All day she was very silent until at last Mrs. Trevor
said:

"You are very quiet to-day, love; I really shall begin to think you
have fallen in love with Dr. Owen's nephew. A charming young man,
certainly, and I should think his prospects--"

"Oh, stop, dear Mrs. Trevor! _Prospects_! I am sick of the word.
Shall I play you something?" And in the twilight she sat down to the
piano.

"Do, dear; I love to see you on that music stool," said the good lady;
and well she might, for Gwenda was a musician from the soul to the
finger tips, and this evening she seemed possessed by the spirit of
music, for long after the twilight had faded into darkness, she sat
there pouring her very heart out in melody, and when she retired to
rest her pillow was surrounded by thoughts and visions of happiness,
more romantic and tender than had ever visited her before.

As the year sped on its course, Will's college life became more and
more absorbing. The greater part of his vacations were always spent at
Isderi, his uncle's house, situated some twenty miles up the valley of
the On. Invited with his uncle to all the gaieties of the
neighbourhood, he frequently met Gwenda Vaughan. Their attraction for
each other soon ripened into a deeper feeling, and in the opinion of
her friends and acquaintances Gwenda was a fortunate girl, Will being