e proposed,
and there was no woman more fitted to be the mistress of Trent Park.

More than once he had been on the verge of putting the question to her
but something prevented him and he was rather glad he had escaped.

Over and over again he had asked himself if he loved her and found no
satisfactory answer.

He knew many of his male friends accepted it as a foregone conclusion
he would marry Evelyn Berkeley, and he smiled as he thought how they
discussed him and his matrimonial prospects.

It pleased him to think she preferred his society to that of other men,
it flattered him when he recalled she might have been a countess had
she wished. He asked her why she did not accept the titled suitor and
she replied that titles had no attraction for her, that her mind was
made up; there was somebody she liked very much, he might ask her to be
his wife some day and she would wait.

He rode several miles at a fast pace in the Park before turning his
horse's head in the direction of The Forest.

As he was passing the monastery ruins he saw Jane Thrush. She looked
very sweet and winsome in her plain brown frock which matched the color
of her hair; she had no hat, and its luxurious growth added to her
rather refined rustic beauty.

Alan was always courteous to women, and Jane was one of his favorites;
so was her father, he had a sincere regard for the sturdy, silent
gamekeeper.

"Beautiful morning, Jane," he said. "You love to be out in the sun?"

She smiled at him. How handsome he looked on his horse, and how well
he sat the animal!

"I am going to Little Trent to buy a few things for the house. I
generally go through the wood," she said.

"You and your father live quiet lives here. Wouldn't you like to be in
the village?" he asked.

"Oh no. I love the old ruin, and the cottage is so sweet I couldn't
bear to leave it, and I'm sure Father would sooner be here than
anywhere," said Jane eagerly.

Alan laughed as he replied:

"Don't be alarmed, you shall live in the cottage as long as you like.
Do you ever feel afraid when you are alone at night?"

"No; why should I? No one ever comes here, and there's Jack always on
guard."

"Wonderful dog, Jack," said Alan smiling.

"He is. It's three years since you gave him to me. He is my constant
companion."

"He's a well-bred dog anyway; these black retrievers are hard to beat."

"If anything happened to him I don't know what I'd do," she said.

"I do," he