nd he remained unmoved until there came along a group of
three, by their dress and bearing, of the farmer class. One was a sturdy
old man; the other two were good-looking girls, one of a little over
twenty, the other not quite so old. So soon as Adam's eyes met those of
the younger girl, who stood nearest to him, some sort of electricity
flashed--that divine spark which begins by recognition, and ends in
obedience. Men call it "Love."

Both his companions noticed how much Adam was taken by the pretty girl,
and spoke of her to him in a way which made his heart warm to them.

"Did you notice that party that passed? The old man is Michael Watford,
one of the tenants of Mr. Caswall. He occupies Mercy Farm, which Sir
Nathaniel pointed out to you to-day. The girls are his grand-daughters,
the elder, Lilla, being the only child of his elder son, who died when
she was less than a year old. His wife died on the same day. She is a
good girl--as good as she is pretty. The other is her first cousin, the
daughter of Watford's second son. He went for a soldier when he was just
over twenty, and was drafted abroad. He was not a good correspondent,
though he was a good enough son. A few letters came, and then his father
heard from the colonel of his regiment that he had been killed by dacoits
in Burmah. He heard from the same source that his boy had been married
to a Burmese, and that there was a daughter only a year old. Watford had
the child brought home, and she grew up beside Lilla. The only thing
that they heard of her birth was that her name was Mimi. The two
children adored each other, and do to this day. Strange how different
they are! Lilla all fair, like the old Saxon stock from which she is
sprung; Mimi showing a trace of her mother's race. Lilla is as gentle as
a dove, but Mimi's black eyes can glow whenever she is upset. The only
thing that upsets her is when anything happens to injure or threaten or
annoy Lilla. Then her eyes glow as do the eyes of a bird when her young
are menaced."

CHAPTER V--THE WHITE WORM

Mr. Salton introduced Adam to Mr. Watford and his grand-daughters, and
they all moved on together. Of course neighbours in the position of the
Watfords knew all about Adam Salton, his relationship, circumstances, and
prospects. So it would have been strange indeed if both girls did not
dream of possibilities of the future. In agricultural England, eligible
men of any class are rare