lf upon Elfride's soft lips. 'You think always
of him, and like him better than you do me!'

'No, indeed, Elfride. The feeling is different quite. But I do like him,
and he deserves even more affection from me than I give.'

'You are not nice now, and you make me as jealous as possible!' she
exclaimed perversely. 'I know you will never speak to any third person
of me so warmly as you do to me of him.'

'But you don't understand, Elfride,' he said with an anxious movement.
'You shall know him some day. He is so brilliant--no, it isn't exactly
brilliant; so thoughtful--nor does thoughtful express him--that it would
charm you to talk to him. He's a most desirable friend, and that isn't
half I could say.'

'I don't care how good he is; I don't want to know him, because he comes
between me and you. You think of him night and day, ever so much more
than of anybody else; and when you are thinking of him, I am shut out of
your mind.'

'No, dear Elfride; I love you dearly.'

'And I don't like you to tell me so warmly about him when you are in
the middle of loving me. Stephen, suppose that I and this man Knight of
yours were both drowning, and you could only save one of us----'

'Yes--the stupid old proposition--which would I save?

'Well, which? Not me.'

'Both of you,' he said, pressing her pendent hand.

'No, that won't do; only one of us.'

'I cannot say; I don't know. It is disagreeable--quite a horrid idea to
have to handle.'

'A-ha, I know. You would save him, and let me drown, drown, drown; and I
don't care about your love!'

She had endeavoured to give a playful tone to her words, but the latter
speech was rather forced in its gaiety.

At this point in the discussion she trotted off to turn a corner which
was avoided by the footpath, the road and the path reuniting at a point
a little further on. On again making her appearance she continually
managed to look in a direction away from him, and left him in the
cool shade of her displeasure. Stephen was soon beaten at this game of
indifference. He went round and entered the range of her vision.

'Are you offended, Elfie? Why don't you talk?'

'Save me, then, and let that Mr. Clever of yours drown. I hate him. Now,
which would you?'

'Really, Elfride, you should not press such a hard question. It is
ridiculous.'

'Then I won't be alone with you any more. Unkind, to wound me so!' She
laughed at her own absurdity but persisted.

'Come, Elfie, let's make