'Come,' he said again; 'please come.' There was an urgent, constraining, pleading in his voice, and he held out his hand.

Without a word she laid her hand in it, and with the supple, effortless grace of youth rose lightly to her feet. She seemed to move in a dream, as, still holding her hand in his, he helped her up the short, steep bank to the road. Then she recollected herself, and drew it away with a murmur of thanks.

They passed along the road in silence, across the quaint old painted bridge that spans the river, past the scattered homes, between the long line of poplar trees that stand up still and straight as the painted trees of a child's toy-box, and still the bands of silence bound them fast.

At length Mr. Black spoke. 'You are leaving to-morrow?' 'Yes,' replied Catherine, almost inaudibly. The sound of her own voice gave her a shock, and again she repeated 'yes' louder and more cheerfully, with a violent effort to throw off this dream, this hypnotic trance, or whatever it was holding her in its power. 'We leave for London to-morrow. We have been here quite a long time. Everything must come to an end.'

'Must it?' said Mr. Black, with a curious inflexion in his voice. Must everything come to an end? Must friendship? Must high regard? Must love? Must all these fine things come to an end?'

Catherine said nothing. Her face grew white and she trembled strangely.

'No,' Mr. Black went on emphatically, they must not; they dare not. They are immortal as the soul of man. Miss Holland, I had thought we were friends.'

'You have been very kind to me,' said Catherine gently; 'very friendly since we met you here. I think, perhaps, I have never thanked you sufficiently for-for everything.'

'Thanked me,' repeated Mr. Black below his breath. There was no question or word of thanking me. The thanks were all due on the other side, as I very well know. But if you honoured me with your friendship, as I had hoped, why must it, then, come to an end?'

'It need not come to an end. You have said we might see you in London.'

'Yes,' he replied heavily, 'I did say so. I had desired it with all my heart. But you expressed no wish or pleasure-none. On the contrary, you shrank from it; I could see that. You seemed

to wish to have done with me when we left here.

Miss Holland,' he demanded, and there was a youthful, almost boyish, note in his voice, 'what is my crime? How have I offended you?'

You have not offended me,' cried Catherine eagerly. 'Oh,
Do not for an instant imagine such a thing. It is not

no, no.

possible.'

'Miss Holland,' he broke out again, and he spoke in the short, abrupt sentences a man uses when he is most deeply moved, 'you are kind-kinder than any other and gentle to all creatures. Extend that kindness to me, too. Bear with me. If I ask too much will you forgive me?' There was such an intense earnestness in Mr. Black's gaze that Catherine, as if forced by some powerful magnetism, lifted her eyes to his face.

The river and the cows and the poplar trees danced in a fantastic medley before them when she answered tremblingly, 'Yes.'

'It does not take long to tell. Only this.' He stood still on the road, facing her. I love you with all my soul. Can you you' But Catherine was recoiling from him as if he had struck her, lifting her shaking hands to her face. I have read my answer,' he said quietly. 'No need for more words. I have been a presumptuous fool.'

'Oh,' she moaned bitterly, 'would you, too, judge me so wrongly ? Did you think I was a creature so base as all that?'

have thought of When I am near

'Base!' he cried quickly. 'Heaven forbid! That word has no reference with you. God is my witness, I you with nothing but the purest reverence. you, my hat is always in my hand. I did not fancy myself worthy. No, no! But is it then such an insult to offer you my very best?'

'But Martha,' she gasped faintly, the playful nickname falling unconsciously from her lips; your wife!'

'My wife?' He stared at her in a profound astonishment. 'Oh,' she cried, covering her crimson face with her hands and writhing as though in pain, 'why do you make me repeat it? Your wife, Mrs. Black, whom you told me was an invalid!'

'I have no wife,' he said slowly. Ah! I see,' a light breaking in upon him. 'You misunderstood me. You fancied, perhaps, I referred to my wife when I spoke of my mother.'

'Your mother!' Catherine's hands fell down, and for a few

moments of intense palpitating silence they both stared into each other's eyes.

'I have never had a wife,' said Mr. Black. I have never wanted one till-till I saw you. Would it-oh! would it,' and he drew a step nearer, and eagerly, yet diffidently, took her hand, 'would it make any difference now?'

Catherine shrank farther away. I can never forgive myself,' she murmured in a choked voice. 'I have insulted you beyond any pardon.'

'No, you have not,' he cried out, very boldly, and gently he seized the other hand. 'Tell me tell me, am I too audacious an old fellow? Can you ever forgive me?'

Then Catherine, being a captive, and having no longer any shield for the fair, down-drooped face, looked up-proud, maidenly Catherine, with the sweet, trembling lips and swimming eyes. 'If you will forgive me,' she whispered, 'I will pardon you.'

And straightway, for Love holds a golden key, they were walking in a new earth with a new heaven above their heads, for the old things had passed away.

It was long past luncheon-time, but they had completely forgotten that highly necessary meal, and still they were wandering along the poplared road by the sunny lake, and talking and smiling as no other person in life had ever heard or seen them talk and smile before. They were walking hand in hand like two children, for truly love leads all hearts-the wisest and greatest as well as the least learned-to the same simple, high level of happy childhood; and so engrossed were they that they did not observe a figure coming swiftly towards them round the curve of the road.

'It is Betty,' cried Catherine suddenly, blushing divinely and putting on her eye-glasses. Oh, what will Betty say?'

6

But Betty did not long leave them in doubt as to what she should say.

'Where have you been?' she cried in her high, clear tones, advancing breathlessly to Catherine, and laying her hand on her arm with a little shake. 'What a terrible fright you have given me! I thought you were drowned. Do you know lunch is passed hours ago?'

'Is it?' said Catherine guiltily; 'I forgot. We have been for a walk.'

'You must pardon us, Miss Betty,' interposed Mr. Black 'We have been for a wonderful and new walk to-day.'

'A new walk?' Betty's eyes traversed the familiar road, and returned to the two faces before her with an incredulous stare. 'Nonsense,' she cried brusquely; that walk is as old as the hills. We have gone that way every day since we came.'

But I have not,' said Mr. Black. It was entirely a new road to me,' and he smiled in such a manner she fancied he had gone mad, and stared at him harder than ever.

Then she turned her gaze upon Catherine, and lo! there was such a beautiful shining light upon her face she could not take her eyes off it. What do you mean?' she cried out in

bewilderment.

'Oh, Betty,' said Catherine, reading her sister's thoughts, 'there was no pillowy little Martha after all. It was quite quite an idea of our own. And I am a very wicked woman. forgotten my promise to you.'

'What!' exclaimed Betty in a quick, harsh voice.

I have

'You said I must never let anyone come in to change our plan of life, and I—I have.'

'It was altogether my fault, Miss Betty,' protested Mr. Black boldly; but you see I could not help myself,' and he looked at Catherine.

Then Betty understood, and for a moment she felt as if she could have struck Mr. Black.

'Do you mean to say'-she turned her back on him and her flashing eyes on Catherine-'that you've been and gone and—and got engaged?'

'I-I think so,' faltered Catherine humbly. 'Oh, Betty, dear,' she cried, do not be angry. I am so happy, and you know' this was, perhaps, scarcely fair of Catherine-' you know you yourself asked me to be nice to-to Mr. Black.'

'Did I?' said Betty, breathing hard. They had all turned, and were with one accord walking quickly towards the village. 'Yes, I did,' she repeated bitterly, 'poor blind bat that I was! I did indeed; but little I thought it might end in this!'

'Am I so very bad, then?' said Mr. Black, with a lurking smile at the corners of his mouth.

'You are not bad alone,' she admitted judicially, but taken in conjunction with-'

'With Catherine, I promise you I shall be a great deal better,' i

he interposed eagerly. 'I shall grow quite mellow and thoroughly nice through time. Who could help it?'

'You needn't be so very sure of that,' she retorted grimly. 'I have lived with Catherine all the years of my life, and you see the result now-not very nice, eh?'

'But supposing you had not lived with Catherine?' and he paused suggestively.

'The result would have been too frightful to contemplate!' A smile began to creep through the severity of her face. Betty never could resist the slightest hint of a joke, and Betty began to laugh. Laughter is an infectious thing. Perhaps it was not very romantic or sentimental, but these three people stood still on the road between the stiff rows of poplar trees, and laughed till they could laugh no more.

'Oh dear!' sighed Betty, wiping her eyes; small cause have I for this unseemly mirth.'

'I am dreadfully hungry now,' said Catherine. Do you think Jules might give us anything to eat?'

'Let us straightway go and see,' said Mr. Black, and he took Catherine's hand as if she were a very little child who could not be trusted to walk alone. But Catherine, fearful that Betty's feelings might be hurt, gently drew it away, and linked her arm in her

sister's.

'Come and sit beside us, Bettikins, while we eat,' she whispered.

'Certainly not!' said Bett stiffly, drawing herself up. 'I know my place better.'

Whereupon Catherine urged her so pathetically, with the tears in her pretty eyes, vowing she could not and would not touch a morsel if Betty did not come, and Mr. Black also magnanimously adding his entreaties, that at length she yielded and went.

'But, of course, it will be all up with your career now,' she remarked gloomily when they were alone. 'No more telling of stories for the public ear to hear.'

'Oh, yes—yes, indeed! Far better telling of stories, for he, Ludovic,' Catherine blushed more charmingly than anyone I know, will help me.'

'Ludovic! Is that Mr. Black's name? What an odd, heathenish sound it has! Where did he pick it up?'

'It came from a Highland grandfather.'