and
sneeringly.

"I _am_," she persisted.

"You needn't be nervous with me," smiled Albert broadly, with his
odd, genuine gallantry. "I'll hold you on."

"But I haven't got a bicycle," said Alvina, feeling she was slowly
colouring to a deep, uneasy blush.

"You can have mine to learn on," said Lottie. "Albert will look
after it."

"There's your chance," said Arthur rudely. "Take it while you've got
it."

Now Alvina did not want to learn to ride a bicycle. The two Miss
Carlins, two more old maids, had made themselves ridiculous for
ever by becoming twin cycle fiends. And the horrible energetic
strain of peddling a bicycle over miles and miles of high-way did
not attract Alvina at all. She was completely indifferent to
sight-seeing and scouring about. She liked taking a walk, in her
lingering indifferent fashion. But rushing about in any way was
hateful to her. And then, to be taught to ride a bicycle by Albert
Witham! Her very soul stood still.

"Yes," said Albert, beaming down at her from his strange pale eyes.
"Come on. When will you have your first lesson?"

"Oh," cried Alvina in confusion. "I can't promise. I haven't time,
really."

"Time!" exclaimed Arthur rudely. "But what do you do wi' yourself
all day?"

"I have to keep house," she said, looking at him archly.

"House! You can put a chain round its neck, and tie it up," he
retorted.

Albert laughed, showing all his teeth.

"I'm sure you find plenty to do, with everything on your hands,"
said Lottie to Alvina.

"I do!" said Alvina. "By evening I'm quite tired--though you mayn't
believe it, since you say I do nothing," she added, laughing
confusedly to Arthur.

But he, hard-headed little fortune-maker, replied:

"You have a girl to help you, don't you!"

Albert, however, was beaming at her sympathetically.

"You have too much to do indoors," he said. "It would do you good to
get a bit of exercise out of doors. Come down to the Coach Road
tomorrow afternoon, and let me give you a lesson. Go on--"

Now the coach-road was a level drive between beautiful park-like
grass-stretches, down in the valley. It was a delightful place for
learning to ride a bicycle, but open in full view of all the world.
Alvina would have died of shame. She began to laugh nervously and
hurriedly at the very thought.

"No, I can't. I really can't. Thanks, awfully," she said.

"Can't you really!" said Albert. "Oh well, we'll say another day,
shall we?"

"When I