the tall banks of
white sand grew white in the twilight, and the outlines of the dark
pasture-land behind grew more distinct.

But when they rose to go back to Barvas the moonlight had grown full and
clear, and the long and narrow loch had a pathway of gold across,
stretching from the reeds and sedges of the one side to the reeds and
sedges of the other. And now Ingram had gone on to join Mackenzie, and
Sheila walked behind with Lavender, and her face was pale and beautiful
in the moonlight.

"I shall be very sorry when I have to leave Lewis," he said as they
walked along the path leading through the sand and the clover; and there
could be no doubt that he felt the regret expressed in the words.

"But it is no use to speak of leaving us yet," said Sheila cheerfully:
"it is a long time before you will go away from the Lewis."

"And I fancy I shall always think of the island just as it is now--with
the moonlight over there, and a loch near, and you walking through the
stillness. We have had so many evening walks like this."

"You will make us very vain of our island," said the girl with a smile,
"if you will speak like that always to us. Is there no moonlight in
England? I have pictures of English scenery that will be far more
beautiful than any we have here; and if there is the moon here, it will
be there too. Think of the pictures of the river Thames that my papa
showed you last night--"

"Oh, but there is nothing like this in the South," said the young man
impetuously. "I do not believe there is in the world anything so
beautiful as this. Sheila, what would you say if I resolved to come and
live here always?"

"I should like that very much--more than you would like it, perhaps,"
she said with a bright laugh.

"That would please you better than for you to go always and live in
England, would it not?"

"But that is impossible," she said. "My papa would never think of living
in England."

For some time after he was silent. The two figures in front of them
walked steadily on, an occasional roar of laughter from the deep chest
of Mackenzie startling the night air, and telling of Ingram's being in a
communicative mood. At last Lavender said, "It seems to me so great a
pity that you should live in this remote place, and have so little
amusement, and see so few people of tastes and education like your own.
Your papa is so much occupied--he is so much older than you, too--that
you must be left to yourself so much;