ble, without looking _outre_, as Pamela did.
But he reined up to greet her with ready smiles.

'Well, Pamela, jolly to see you at home again! My word, you've
grown! Shall I find your father in?'

'Yes, we left him in the library. May I introduce Miss
Bremerton--Sir Henry Chicksands.' The girl spoke with hurried
shyness, the quick colour in her cheeks. The lady beside her bowed,
and Sir Henry took off his hat. Each surveyed the other. 'A
strong-minded female!' thought Sir Henry, who was by no means
advanced in his views of the other sex.

'The strong-minded female,' however, was not, it seemed, of the
talkative kind. She remained quite silent while Pamela and Sir Henry
exchanged some family gossip, with her ungloved hand caressing the
nose of the collie, who was pressing against her with intrusive
friendliness. But her easy self-possession as contrasted with
Pamela's nervousness was all the time making an impression on Sir
Henry, as was also the fact of her general good looks. Not a
beauty--not at all; but, as the Rector had said, 'striking.'

As for Pamela, what was the matter with the child? Until Beryl's
name was mentioned, there was not a smile to be got out of her. And
it was a very fleeting one when it came. Desmond's name fared a
little better. At that the girl did at last raise her beautiful
eyes, which till then she had hardly allowed to be seen, and there
was a ray in them.

'He's here on leave,' she said; 'a few days. He's just got his
Commission and been accepted for the artillery. He goes into camp
next week. He thinks he'll be out by January.'

'We must certainly manage to see him before he goes,' said Sir Henry
heartily. Then turning to Miss Bremerton with the slightly
over-emphatic civility of a man who prides himself on his manners in
all contingencies, he asked her if she was already acquainted with
the Mannering neighbourhood.

Miss Bremerton replied that it was quite unknown to her. 'You'll
admire our trees,' said Sir Henry. 'They're very fine.'

'Are they?' said the lady rather absently, giving a perfunctory
glance to the woods sloping away on her right towards a little
stream winding in the hollow. Sir Henry felt a slight annoyance. He
was a good fellow, and no more touchy as to personal dignity than
the majority of men of his age and class. But he was accustomed to
be treated with a certain deference, and in Miss Bremerton's manner
there was none whatever.

'Well, good-bye, Pamela. I m