s the gate, my lady."

The man produced a key from his pocket and got down to open it.
Constance passed into a green world. Three "drives" converged in front
of her, moss-carpeted, and close-roofed by oak-wood in its first rich
leaf. After the hot sun on the straight and shadeless road outside,
these cool avenues stretching away into a forest infinity, seemed to
beckon a visitant towards some distant Elysian scene--some glade
haunted of Pan.

Constance looked down them eagerly. Which was she to take?--suddenly,
far down the right hand drive, a horseman--coming into view. He
perceived her, gave a touch to his horse, and was quickly beside her.

Both were conscious of the groom, who had reined in a few yards behind,
and sat impassive.

Falloden saluted her joyously. He rode a handsome Irish horse, nearly
black, with a white mark on its forehead; a nervous and spirited
creature, which its rider handled with the ease of one trained from his
childhood to the hunting field. His riding dress, with its knee-breeches
and leggings pleased the feminine eye; so did his strong curly head as
he bared it, and the animation of his look.

"This is better, isn't it, than ''ammer, 'ammer, 'ammer on the 'ard 'igh
road!' I particularly want to show you the bluebells--they're gorgeous!
But they're quite on the other side--a long way off. And then you'll be
tired--you'll want tea. I've arranged it."

"Joseph"--he turned to the groom--"you know the head keeper's cottage?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, go off there and wait. Tell the keeper's wife that I shall bring
a lady to tea there in about an hour. She knows." Joseph turned
obediently, took the left hand road, and was soon out of sight.

The two riders paced side by side through the green shadows of the wood.
Constance was flushed--but 'she looked happy and gracious. Falloden had
not seen her so gracious since Oxford had brought them again across each
other. They fell at once, for the first time since her arrival, into the
easy talk of their early Riviera days; and he found himself doing his
very best to please her. She asked him questions about his approaching
schools; and it amused him, in the case of so quick a pupil, to frame a
"chaffing" account of Oxford examinations and degrees; to describe the
rush of an Honour man's first year before the mods' gate is leaped; the
loitering and "slacking" of the second year and part of the third; and
then the setting of teeth and girding of loins,