e strode up to the cottage
door,--"a ranter, I'll be bound, with his Lord's troubles,' and
'Lord's hands,' and 'Lord's marks.' I hope Uncle Robert hasn't
many such in the parish."

He knocked at the cottage door, and in a few seconds it opened
gently, and Katie slipped out with her finger on her lips. She
made a slight gesture of surprise at seeing him, and held out her
hand.

"Hush!" she said, "she is asleep. You are not in a hurry?"

"No, not particularly," he answered, abruptly; for there was
something in her voice and manner which jarred with his humor.

"Hush!" she said again, "you must not speak so loud. We can sit
down here, and talk quietly. I shall hear if she moves."

So he sat down opposite to her in the little porch of the
cottage. She left the door ajar, so that she might catch the
least movement of her patient, and then turned to him with a
bright smile, and said,--

"Well, I am so glad to see you! What good wind blows you here?"

"No particularly good wind, that I know of. Mary showed me your
letter yesterday, and mother wished me to come round here on my
way home; and so here I am."

"And how did the party go off? I long to hear about it."

"Very well; half the county were there, and it was all very well
done."

"And how did dear Mary look?"

"Oh, just as usual. But now, Katie, why didn't you come? Mary and
all of us were so disappointed."

"I thought you read my letter?"

"Yes, so I did."

"Then you know the reason."

"I don't call it a reason. Really, you have no right to shut
yourself up from everything. You will be getting moped to death."

"But do I look moped?" she said; and he looked at her, and
couldn't help admitting to himself, reluctantly, that she did
not. So he re-opened fire from another point.

"You will wear yourself out, nursing every old woman in the
parish."

"But I don't nurse every old woman."

"Why, there is no one here but you to-day, now," he said, with a
motion of his head towards the cottage.

"No, because I have let the regular nurse go home for a few
hours. Besides, this is a special case. You don't know what a
dear old soul Betty is."

"Yes, I do; I remember her ever since I was a child."

"Ah, I forgot; I have often heart her talk of you."

"Then you ought not to be surprised at anything I may do for
her."

"She is a good, kind old woman, I know. But still I must say,
Katie, you ought to think of your friends and relations a little,
and wh