ing her fast; and indeed she was too pretty a
possession to be easily let go. "Whole loads of talking, and no end of
arrangements.--Di, I never saw you with such a charming colour. My
beauty! Do you know what a beauty you are?"

"I am glad you think so!" she said.

"Think so? Wait till you are my wife, and I can dress you to please
myself. I think you will be a very princess of loveliness."

"In the meantime, Mr. Knowlton, what do you think of letting me finish
my berries?"

"Berries?" he said, laughing. "Tell me first, Di, what do you think of
me?"

"Inconvenient," said Diana. "And I think, presuming. I must finish my
berries, Mr. Knowlton."

"_Evan_," he said.

"Well; but let me do my work."

"Do your work?--My darling! How am I going to talk to you, if you are
going into your work? However, in consideration of yesterday--you may."

"What made you come to this door?" Diana asked.

"I knew you were here."

"You would have been much more likely to find mother, most days."

"Ah, but I met Prince, as I came along, with Mrs. Starling behind him;
and then I thought"--

"What?"

"I remembered," said Knowlton, laughing, "that the same person cannot
be in two places at once!"

The comfort of this fact being upon them, the two took advantage of it.
Mr. Knowlton drew his chair close to the table over which Diana's
fingers were so busy; and a talk began, which in the range and variety
and arbitrary introduction of its topics, it would be in vain to try to
follow. Through it all Diana's work went on, except now and then when
her fingers made an involuntary pause. The berries were picked over,
and weighed, and put over the fire, and watched and tended there; while
the tall form of the young officer stood beside Diana as she handled
her skimmer, and went back and forth as she went, helping her to carry
her jars of sweetmeat.

"Have you told your mother?" Mr. Knowlton asked.

"No."

"Why not?" he asked quickly.

"I did not think it was a good time, last night or this morning."

"Does she not like me?"

"I think she wants to put some one else in your place, Evan."

"Who?" he asked instantly.

"Nobody you need fear," said Diana, laughing. "Nobody I like."

"Is there anybody you do like?"

"Plenty of people--that I like a little."

"How much do you like me, Diana?"

She lifted her eyes and looked at him; calm, large, grey eyes, into
which there had come a new depth since yesterday and an added light.