e behind," thought the widow
to herself.

"We will go round the garden," she said; "it is not time for church yet.
I am not able to go this morning, but Maurice will take you presently.
You have just to cross the heath and you can go to a dear little church,
quite in the depths of the country. I never need change of air here in
my rose-bower. But come: what roses shall I pick for you?"

"I must give Miss Aylmer her flowers, as she is practically my guest,"
said Trevor, coming forward at that moment. He picked a moss-rose bud
and a few Scotch roses, made them into a posy, and gave them to
Florence. She placed the flowers in her belt; her cheeks were already
bright with colour, and her eyes were dewy with happiness. She bent down
several times to sniff the fragrance of the flowers. Mrs. Trevor drew
her out to talk, and soon she was chatting and laughing, and looked like
a girl who had not a care in the world.

"I never saw anything so sweet," she said. "How have you managed to make
all these roses bloom at once?"

"I study roses; they are my specialty. I think roses are the great joy
of my life," said Mrs. Trevor. But as she spoke she glanced at her
stalwart, handsome son, and Florence guessed that he was his mother's
idol, and wondered how she could part with him to Mrs. Aylmer.

"The church bells are beginning to ring," he said suddenly; "would you
like to go to church or would you rather just wander about the heath?"

"I think I would rather stay on the heath this morning," said Florence.
She coloured as she spoke. "I do not feel very churchy," she added.

"All right: we'll have our service out of doors then; we'll be back,
mother, in time for lunch."

CHAPTER XXI.

AN AWKWARD POSITION.

Trevor raised the latch of the gate as he spoke, and Florence and he
went out into what the girl afterwards called an enchanted world.
Florence during that walk was light-hearted as a lark and forgot all her
cares.

Trevor made himself a very agreeable companion. He had from the first
felt a great sympathy for Florence. He was not at that time in love with
her, but he did think her a specially attractive girl, and, believing
that she was sorrowful, and also having a sort of latent feeling that he
himself was doing her an injury by being Mrs. Aylmer's heir, he was more
attentive to her and more sympathetic in his manner than he would
otherwise have been.

They found a shady dell on the heath where they sat and tal