in his walk when he began to speak, and stood facing
Marion, who had not raised her eyes while he was speaking. Then she
looked frankly up in his face.

"Do you think I did not know," she said softly, "and didn't you really
know too? You are not so wise a man as I thought you. Why, ever since I
have known you it seems to me that--that--"

"That you have loved me, Marion; is it possible?" he said taking her
hand.

"Of course it is possible," she said almost pettishly "how could I help
it, I should like to know?"

Dinner had been waiting for some time before Mr. Atherton and his
companion returned from their ramble.

"Twenty minutes late!" Wilfrid shouted as they approached the house;
"have you been losing yourselves in the bush?"

"I think that it has been just the other way, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton
said as he came up to the group gathered in the verandah.

"How do you mean?" Wilfrid asked.

"I mean we have been finding each other."

"Finding each other," Wilfrid repeated vaguely. "Why, were you both
lost?"

"I was, Wilfrid. Mrs. Renshaw, I have found your daughter, and am going,
with your permission and that of her father, to keep her. I am a good
bit older than she is, but as she says she does not mind that, I hope
that you will not, and at least I can promise to do all in my power to
make her happy."

"I am surprised, Mr. Atherton; surprised and glad too," Mrs. Renshaw
said, while Mr. Renshaw grasped Mr. Atherton's hand and shook it
heartily.

"My dear sir, there is no one in the world to whom I could intrust
Marion's happiness so gladly and heartily. I own that it is a surprise
to me, as well as to her mother, but we are both delighted at the choice
she has made."

By this time Marion and her mother had gone indoors together. Wilfrid
had not yet spoken, his surprise was still too great for words.

"Well, Wilfrid," Mr. Atherton said, turning to him, "I hope your
disapproval of Marion's conduct on this occasion is not so great as it
was when you were talking to me yesterday."

"I hardly know what to say yet, you have taken me so by surprise; but I
am awfully glad--you know that, don't you? There is no one in the world
I should like Marion to marry so much, only somehow it never occurred to
me."

"That is natural enough, Wilfrid. However, now that it has occurred to
you, and you approve of it, we must hope that Marion will be restored to
your good graces again."

"I have been making an ass of myse