you to it with pleasure," replied Kate; "my dear
father often goes there with me to smoke. If you will wait for two
minutes I'll put on my bonnet," and she hastened to prepare herself for
the walk, leaving Harry to caress the cat, which he did so
energetically, when he thought of its young mistress, that it instantly
declared war, and sprang from the chair with a remonstrative yell.

On their way down to the bower, which was situated in a picturesque,
retired spot on the river's bank about a mile below the house, Harry and
Kate tried to converse on ordinary topics, but without success, and were
at last almost reduced to silence. One subject alone filled their
minds; all others were flat. Being sunk, as it were, in an ocean of
love, they no sooner opened their lips to speak than the waters rushed
in, as a natural consequence, and nearly choked them. Had they but
opened their mouths wide and boldly, they would have been pleasantly
drowned together; but as it was, they lacked the requisite courage, and
were fain to content themselves with an occasional frantic struggle to
the surface, where they gasped a few words of uninteresting air, and
sank again instantly.

On arriving at the bower, however, and sitting down, Harry plucked up
heart, and heaving a deep sigh, said--

"Kate, there is a subject about which I have long desired to speak to
you--"

Long as he had been desiring it, however, Kate thought it must have been
nothing compared with the time that elapsed ere he said anything else;
so she bent over a flower which she held in her hand, and said in a low
voice, "Indeed, Harry; what is it?"

Harry was desperate now. His usually flexible tongue was stiff as stone
and dry as a bit of leather. He could no more give utterance to an
intelligible idea than he could change himself into Mr Kennedy's grey
cat--a change that he would not have been unwilling to make at that
moment. At last he seized his companion's hand, and exclaimed, with a
burst of emotion that quite startled her--

"Kate, Kate! O dearest Kate, I love you! I _adore_ you! I--"

At this point poor Harry's powers of speech again failed; so, being
utterly unable to express another idea, he suddenly threw his arms round
her, and pressed her fervently to his bosom.

Kate was taken quite aback by this summary method of coming to the
point. Repulsing him energetically, she exclaimed, while she blushed
crimson, "O Harry--Mr Somerville!" and burst int