ong.'

Harry, walking beside Reggie, looked at the girl's slight, erect figure
as she went in front with Gerald.

'Does she always do what you fellows do?' he inquired, rather
doubtfully.

'Of course she does,' replied Reggie; 'she's fifteen years old, you
know; a year older than Allan.'

Harry looked at her again, and considered.

'Bit of a tomboy, isn't she?' he inquired again.

'An awful tomboy. We've got her into the way of doing all kinds of
things. She couldn't be much jollier if she was a boy.'

Harry took another look at her.

'Has she a bit of a temper?' he asked unexpectedly.

'A bit,' acknowledged Reggie, somewhat disconcerted, 'when she's
roused, you know. She's fond of her own way; and she and Allan used to
quarrel a good deal at one time; but they seem to have made it up now.'

Reggie added to himself that there was no time to quarrel, now that
every one's thoughts were occupied with Neil.

Harry looked at Marjorie again.

'Does she ever quarrel with you?' he asked.

'N--no, not much,' he replied, his face darkening slightly.

Harry looked at Marjorie's tall young figure, and then at Reggie's
smaller and slighter one, and arrived at the conclusion which
particularly annoyed Reggie; that the girl disdained to quarrel with a
boy so much younger than herself.

Marjorie turned her bright face towards them.

'Find it tiring, walking on the heather?' she said. 'It's very
fatiguing when you're not accustomed to it. We might take a rest after
we've climbed this hill; there's a beautiful view from the top.'

It was a steep climb, and when they reached the summit, all the young
folk were glad to fling themselves down on the short, fragrant heather.

The breeze came laden with the scent of wild thyme and heather and salt
from the sea; and the only live creatures save themselves were the
mountain sheep and the crested plovers, and grey gulls which wheeled
above the heads of the wayfarers.

Harry looked about him with brightening eyes.

'What an awfully jolly place this is of yours,' he said. 'I say, you
_do_ see a lot from the top of this hill.'

He was right. The hill crest commanded a view of nearly the whole
island, with green fields and moors, and the white roads stretching
across them; houses and cottages in their little gardens; and the
village with the pier jutting out into the sea. One or two larger
islands were in the distance; brown rocks and skerries lying like dots
upon t