rd what a
wonderful young woman Miss Lark has become?--a mere fleet-footed,
slittering maid when you were last home.'

St. Cleeve had not heard, but he had partly seen, and he was informed
that Tabitha had left Welland shortly after his own departure, and had
studied music with great success in London, where she had resided ever
since till quite recently; that she played at concerts, oratorios--had,
in short, joined the phalanx of Wonderful Women who had resolved to
eclipse masculine genius altogether, and humiliate the brutal sex to the
dust.

'She is only in the garden,' added his grandmother. 'Why don't ye go out
and speak to her?'

Swithin was nothing loth, and strolled out under the apple-trees, where
he arrived just in time to prevent Miss Lark from going off by the back
gate. There was not much difficulty in breaking the ice between them,
and they began to chat with vivacity.

Now all these proceedings occupied time, for somehow it was very charming
to talk to Miss Lark; and by degrees St. Cleeve informed Tabitha of his
great undertaking, and of the voluminous notes he had amassed, which
would require so much rearrangement and recopying by an amanuensis as to
absolutely appal him. He greatly feared he should not get one careful
enough for such scientific matter; whereupon Tabitha said she would be
delighted to do it for him. Then blushing, and declaring suddenly that
it had grown quite late, she left him and the garden for her relation's
house hard by.

Swithin, no less than Tabitha, had been surprised by the disappearance of
the sun behind the hill; and the question now arose whether it would be
advisable to call upon Viviette that night. There was little doubt that
she knew of his coming; but more than that he could not predicate; and
being entirely ignorant of whom she had around her, entirely in the dark
as to her present feelings towards him, he thought it would be better to
defer his visit until the next day.

Walking round to the front of the house he beheld the well-known
agriculturists Hezzy Biles, Haymoss Fry, and some others of the same old
school, passing the gate homeward from their work with bundles of wood at
their backs. Swithin saluted them over the top rail.

'Well! do my eyes and ears--' began Hezzy; and then, balancing his faggot
on end against the hedge, he came forward, the others following.

'Says I to myself as soon as I heerd his voice,' Hezzy continued
(addressing Swithin