d
the town."

"I daresay," she answered; "he never lacked boldness."

My chance had come.

"No, indeed, he did not," said I; "and I wish I had some of it myself."

"What! for so common a display of it?" she asked, rallying, yet with
some sobriety in her tone.

"Not a bit," I answered; "that--that--that I might act the part of a
lover with some credit to myself, and kiss the one girl I know in that
capacity."

"Would she let you?" she asked, removing herself by a finger-length from
my side, yet not apparently enough to show she thought herself the one
in question.

"That, madame, is what troubles me," I confessed in anguish, for her
words had burst the bubble of my courage.

"Of course you cannot tell till you try," she said, demurely, looking
straight before her, no smile on the corners of her lips, that somehow
maddened by their look of pliancy.

"You know whom I mean," I said, pursuing my plea, whose rustic
simplicity let no man mock at, remembering the gawky errors of his own
experience.

"There's Bell, the minister's niece, and there's Kilblaan's daughter,
and----"

"Oh, my dear! my dear!" I cried, stopping and putting my hand daringly
on her shoulder. "You know it is not any of these; you must know I mean
yourself. Here am I, a man travelled, no longer a youth, though still
with the flush of it, no longer with a humility to let me doubt myself
worthy of your best thoughts; I have let slip a score of chances on
this same path, and even now I cannot muster up the spirit to brave your
possible anger."

She laughed a very pleasant soothing laugh and released her shoulder.
"At least you give me plenty of warning," she said.

"I am going to kiss you now," I said, with great firmness.

She walked a little faster, panting as I could hear, and I blamed myself
that I had alarmed her.

"At least," I added, "I'll do it when we get to Bealloch-an-uarain
well."

She hummed a snatch of Gaelic song we have upon that notable well, a
song that is all an invitation to drink the waters while you are young
and drink you may, and I suddenly ventured to embrace her with an arm.
She drew up with stern lips and back from my embrace, and Elrigmore was
again in torment.

"You are to blame yourself," I said, huskily; "you let me think I might.
And now I see you are angry."

"Am I?" she said, smiling again. "I think you said the well, did you
not!"

"And may I?" eagerly I asked, devouring her with my eyes.

"You m