winter that he had said was like a grave.

And she?--at this moment she was down at the small bridge that crossed
the burn. She had gone out to seek her father; had found him coming up
through the larch-wood, and was now accompanying him back. They had
rested here; he sitting on the weatherworn parapet of the bridge; she
leaping over it, and idly dropping bits of velvet-green moss into the
whirl of clear brown water below.

"I suppose we must be thinking of getting away from Castle Dare, Gerty,"
said he.

"I shall not be sorry," she answered.

But even Mr. White was somewhat taken aback by the cool promptitude of
this reply.

"Well, you know your own business best," he said to her. "It is not for
me to interfere. I said from the beginning I would not interfere. But
still I wish you would be a little more explicit, Gerty, and let one
understand what you mean--whether, in fact, you do mean, or do not mean,
to marry Macleod."

"And who said that I proposed not to marry him?" said she; but she still
leaned over the rough stones and looked at the water. "The first thing
that would make me decline would be the driving me into a corner--the
continual goading, and reminding me of the duty I had to perform. There
has been just a little too much of that here"--and at this point she
raised herself so that she could regard her father when she wished--"and
I really must say that I do not like to be taking a holiday with the
feeling hanging over you that certain things are expected of you every
other moment, and that you run the risk of being considered a very
heartless and ungrateful person unless you do and say certain things you
would perhaps rather not do and say. I should like to be let alone. I
hate being goaded. And I certainly did not expect that you, too, papa,
would try to drive me into a corner."

She spoke with some little warmth. Mr. White smiled.

"I was quite unaware, Gerty," said he, "that you were suffering this
fearful persecution."

"You may laugh, but it is true," said she, and there was a trifle of
color in her cheeks. "The serious interests I am supposed to be
concerned about! Such profound topics of conversation! Will the steamer
come by the south to-morrow, or round by the north? The Gometra men have
had a good take of lobsters yesterday. Will the head-man at the
Something lighthouse be transferred to some other lighthouse? and how
will his wife and family like the change? They are doing very well w