ear as manners and prudence allowed to
that lonesome house, he sat down quietly for a little while in a little
niche of scrubby bush whence he could spy the door. For a short time
this was very well; also it was well to be furnishing his mind with a
form for the beautiful expressions in it, and prepare it for the order
of their coming out. And when he was sure that these were well arranged,
and could not fail at any crisis, he found a further pastime in
considering his boots, then his gaiters and small-clothes (which were of
lofty type), and his waistcoat, elegant for anybody's bosom. But after a
bit even this began to pall; and when one of his feet went fast asleep,
in spite of its beautiful surroundings, he jumped up and stamped, and
was not so very far from hot words as he should have been. For his habit
was not so much to want a thing as to get it before he wanted it, which
is very poor training for the trials of the love-time.

But just as he was beginning to resolve to be wise, and eat his
victuals, now or never, and be sorry for any one who came too
late--there came somebody by another track, whose step made the heart
rise, and the stomach fall. Lancelot's mind began to fail him all at
once; and the spirit that was ready with a host of words fluttered away
into a quaking depth of silence. Yet Insie tripped along as if the world
held no one to cast a pretty shadow from the sun beside her own.

Even the youngest girls are full of little tricks far beyond the oldest
boy's comprehension. But the wonder of all wonders is, they have so pure
a conscience as never to be thinking of themselves at all, far less of
any one who thinks too much of them. "I declare, she has forgotten that
she ever saw me!" Lancelot muttered to the bush in which he trembled.
"It would serve her right, if I walked straight away." But he looked
again, and could not help looking more than many times again, so
piercing (as an ancient poet puts it) is the shaft from the eyes of
the female women. And Insie was especially a female girl--which has now
ceased to be tautology--so feminine were her walk, and way, and sudden
variety of unreasonable charm.

"Dear me! I never thought to see you any more, Sir;" said she, with a
bright blush, perhaps at such a story, as Pet jumped out eagerly, with
hands stretched forth. "It is the most surprising thing. And we might
have done very well with rain-water."

"Oh, Insie! don't be so cold-hearted. Who can drink