Meadows."

However, Wade, he set to it, and after a lot of patient skirmishing he
began to see faint signs of hope. He held in, however, so powerful as his
nature would let him until the signs heartened the man for a dash at last,
and 'twas by Hound's Pool on a May day with the bluebells beside the
water, and the cherry blossom tasselling over their heads--that he told
the girl she was the light of his spring and the breath of his life.

And she just put her hand in his'n and looked up in his face and took him
without any fuss whatever.

Not for a week, however, till he felt safe in his promised state, did
Harry ever open out his dark secrets to her; but then, for her ears only,
out it came.

"You mind that fatal night?" he asked; and they were beside the Pool
again, for she loved it now, because 'twas there he begged her to marry
him.

"Ess fay and I do, but I don't hate the Pool no more--not after you told
me you loved me there," said Millicent.

"'Twas I that saved you," he confessed. "At a loose end and for a bit of a
lark--just sport, you understand, not wickedness--I done a bit of poaching
and picked off a good few birds, I fear."

She looked at him round-eyed.

"You wretch!" she cried; but his arms were close about her, and she was
powerless.

"Oh, yes. And my great dog it was as I kept hid on a chain by day. And
when he frightened you into the water that night, I was behind him and had
you out again and in my arms in half a second. And then I carried you away
from the river, and when I held you in my arms I knew you'd be my wife or
nobody would."

"Thank the watching Lord 'twas you!" she gasped.

"I waited till I see you come to and knew you'd be all right then; but I
followed you, to see what you was up to, and didn't go home till I saw you
drive away with the doctor. My dog was my joy till that night--a great
mongrel I picked up when I was to Plymouth and kept close of a day. Clever
as Satan at finding fallen birds in the dark, though unfortunately he
didn't find 'em all. But after the happenings I took him back to Plymouth
again on the quiet, and he won't frighten nobody no more."

Then 'twas her turn and she dressed him down properly and gave him all the
law and the prophets, and made him promise on his oath that he'd never do
no more crimes, or kill fur or feather that didn't belong by rights to
him.

And he swore and kept his oath most steadfast.

"I've catched the finest creature as ever