," he remarked, as he stood looking
out over the water. "I little realised this morning that we would be
standing here now. It was here that I first saw you, and heard you
playing over by that tree."

"Don't mention that night," Nell pleaded. "I want to forget it, and
everything that is past."

"And this afternoon, too?"

"Everything except your great kindness to me. I shall never forget
that, and I don't want to, either."

"I am so glad that I was able to rescue you from that brute. My only
regret is that I was not near to save you from harm last night. If I
had been there, that would not have happened," and he motioned to her
wounded arm.

Nell turned her face quickly to his and her eyes expressed a great
wonder.

"Why, how did you learn about that?" she enquired. "Who told you?"

"No one. I am an amateur Sherlock Holmes, and have drawn my own
conclusions from what I have seen and surmised. Jean is jealous of
you, and 'that way madness lies.' Am I not right?"

"You certainly are," and a tremour shook Nell's body as she recalled
the incident of the previous evening. "Oh, it was terrible! Jean is
so jealous of me. She thinks that I have taken Ben from her, and she
would not believe a word I told her. She would listen to nothing, but
said I was lying."

"And you were not?" Douglas eagerly asked.

"No. I simply told her the truth, and that Ben is nothing to me, and
that I never tried to take him from her. But she would not believe me."

A feeling of wonderful rapture came into Douglas' soul as he listened
to this candid confession. So Ben was nothing to Nell. It was almost
too good to be true. There was hope for him.

"But you often met Ben by the tree over there, did you not?" he at
length questioned. "It was there I first saw you when you played such
sweet music. I remember he joined you that evening."

For a while Nell remained silent with her eyes fixed thoughtfully upon
the ground. Douglas was afraid that he had said too much, and had
offended her. But when she lifted her face and he saw the expression
upon it, he knew that he was wrong. Her cheeks were aglow with
animation and her eyes beamed with eagerness.

"Do you mind if I tell you something?" she asked. "Part of it is known
only to Nan and me. I feel that I can trust you."

"I shall be delighted to hear," Douglas replied, "and I am most
grateful for your confidence in me."

"I am very much worried about what will h