omised to come and make a daisy chain for the
occasion."

"Has she indeed?" said Cardo, with great interest. "She would not
promise me. I believe she loves to see me miserable."

"Well, cheer up," said Ellis, "for I shall be a precious long time at
those curls of Corwen's and those expressive brown eyes. Shoni, I
know, will stick to me like a leech, but you and Valmai, I expect, will
meanly desert me again."

Next day Valmai was as good as her word, for, as the young men entered
the field at one corner, she appeared at the gate in the other, and as
she came towards them, Gwynne Ellis was struck anew by the beauty and
freshness of her appearance. She wore a simple white frock, her fair,
broad forehead was shaded by a white sun-bonnet, and she carried a
wreath of moon daisies, which she flung over Corwen's neck who was
grazing peacefully among the buttercups, ignorant of the honour
awaiting her.

Valmai nodded playfully to Cardo and his friend as they drew near, and,
taking Corwen's soft, white ear, drew her towards them with many
endearing terms.

"Come then, my queen, dere di, come along, then, and show your
beautiful brown eyes, and your pretty white curls. Here we are, Mr.
Ellis; will we do?" and, holding up her white frock, she made a demure
little curtsey to the two young men, while Shoni, also arriving on the
scene, looked at her with amused surprise, not unmixed with reproof.

"Iss you must excuse Valmai, gentlemen," he said, tugging his red
forelock; "she iss partly a foreign, and not know our manners about
here."

"Oh, we'll excuse her," said Gwynne Ellis, while Cardo clasped her hand
and gazed rapturously at the blushing face under the white bonnet.

"I wass want her," said Shoni, with a jerk of his thumb towards Valmai,
"to put on her best frock, but no!" and he clicked his tongue against
the roof of his mouth, "there's odd things woman are! 'ts 'ts!"

"Well, indeed," said Valmai, "I did not think a smart gown would suit
the fields, whatever!"

"Couldn't be better, Miss Powell," said Ellis, arranging his group, and
introducing Shoni as a shadowy background. With a few deft touches of
his brush he had drawn the outlines of his picture, with good-natured
artfulness devoting much time to finishing off Corwen and dismissing
Valmai and Cardo.

"Now you two can go," he said, "but I can't do without Shoni. A little
black spot at the back of that ear?"

"No, no--brown," said Shoni, delighted to