ong well enough;" and she made a brave attempt to walk.
But the moment the injured foot touched the ground, she stopped
with a catch at her breath, and a shiver, which went through Tom
like a knife; and the flush came back into her face, and she
would have fallen had he not again put his arm round her waist,
and held her up. "I am better again now," she said, after a
second or two.

"But Mary, dear Mary, don't try to walk again. For my sake. I
can't bear it."

"But what am I to do?" she said. "I must get back somehow."

"Will you let me carry you?"

She looked in his face again, and then dropped her eyes, and
hesitated.

"I wouldn't offer, dear, if there were any other way. But you
mustn't walk. Indeed, you must not; you may lame yourself for
life."

He spoke very quietly, with his eyes fixed on the ground, though
his heart was beating so that he feared she would hear it.

"Very well," she said; "but I'm very heavy."

So he lifted her gently, and stepped off down the ride, carrying
his whole world in his arms, in an indescribable flutter of joy,
and triumph, and fear. He had gone some forty yards or so, when
he staggered, and stopped for a moment.

"Oh, pray put me down--pray do! You'll hurt yourself. I'm too
heavy."

For the credit of muscular Christianity, one must say that it was
not her weight, but the tumult in his own inner man, which made
her bearer totter. Nevertheless, if one is wholly unused to the
exercise, the carrying of a healthy young English girl weighing a
good eight stone, is as much as most men can conveniently manage.

"I'll just put you down for a moment," he said. "Now, take care
of the foot;" and he stooped and placed her tenderly against one
of the oaks which bordered the ride, standing by her side without
looking at her. Neither of them spoke for a minute. Then he
asked, still looking away down the ride, "How is the foot?"

"Oh, pretty well," she answered, cheerfully. "Now, leave me here,
and go for help. It is absurd of me to mind being left, and you
mustn't carry me any more."

He turned, and their eyes met for a moment, but that was enough.

"Are you ready?" he said.

"Yes, but take care. Don't go far. Stop directly you feel tired."

Then he lifted her again, and this time carried her without
faltering, till they came to a hillock covered with soft grass.
Here they rested again, and so by easy stages he carried her
through the wood, and out into the road, to the nearest