of her father or sisters might show what she desired to conceal. She wished to hear about Sauffrenden.

"You have not told me anything about your dinnerparty on Friday," she began, "and in our quiet neighbourhood we like to know everything about everybody."

"It was a very dull dinner-party."

"Well, but that says nothing; you must tell me who were there, and all about it, and then I can estimate the dulness."

"The Rector was there, and Miss Gray. Admiral and Miss Fulton. And an old Lady Wranch or Wrench, an aunt of Lord Sauffrenden's, I believe; and several others I did not know."

"Why, I think you were pretty well off. The Fultons are pleasant people."

"I had never met them before; but they seem so, certainly."

"And who had you to take into dinner, if it is a fair question?"

"I had Miss Fulton."

66

Then, Mr Smith, you were well off. She is a most amusing and agreeable companion. Do you not think so?"

66

Amusing, certainly."

"And agreeable? Every one thinks her agreeable."

"Yes, agreeable in a certain degree. But perhaps she is almost too agreeable to be completely so. If you know what I mean, though it is invidious to point out such a defect, she has rather too much agreeability."

"You are severe. Can a woman be too agreeable?" "Certainly not, but she can try to be so too much." “And is that all poor Miss Fulton's crime?"

"Yes, that is all. I liked what I saw of Miss Fulton very much; but if I must say so, she talks too fast, and too loud; and, may I dare to add, too much?"

"Oh, Mr Smith!"

She was not quite certain what to say. he would prove so particular.

She had no idea

"Too much," said she, thoughtfully; "I wonder if I do." From the bottom of her heart the words came; she was no more coquetting than if she had been in her own room alone.

The answer was as quick as thought. "You? No, indeed."

She blushed crimson. How provoking that she should have appeared to be seeking this! As if she had deigned to angle for a compliment! Appealed for flattery which could not but be paid. It was too stupid of her. And he had said it so earnestly, so emphatically, that he must have thought it was what she wanted. She sprang from her seat, vexation on her brow.

"You are

He rose also, surprised at the sudden cloud. not angry with me, Miss Tolleton?" Angry? Her bright smile shone out again, "You! No, indeed." All was right.

There was more dallying on the way home. More difficulties in getting over the muddy places. More holding on by the branches.

The chit-chat began again, and all too soon the stile came in view.

Simultaneously they looked to see if the road were free. Mr Smith helped his companion over the stile, and they paused to say good-bye.

Helen put the ferns into her left hand. "Next time," said he, taking her right, "that you and I come here together, I hope it will be to inspect the new summer-house." much in the words, but they were suggestive.

Not

"And now," said Helen to herself, as she walked swiftly through the plantation, "how much and how little of this shall I give them the benefit of? If I told the whole, Lily would be ridiculous. So then, we met, no matter how, and walked together; shall I say where? Yes, for it will come out about the summer-house. Whatever I tell her, however, she must be made to hold her tongue about."

Then she fell to musing on what had passed. His words, his looks, were dwelt upon, and weighed in the balance. How much meaning could she safely attach to them? How far could she calculate upon him? That he admired her, was interested in her up to a certain point, she felt certain ; but was the amount sufficient to bring him to her feet? Not yet. The result of her meditations was this-not yet.

Luncheon was over, and the sisters eagerly speculating on the chances of Helen's luck having again thrown Mr Smith in her way. It was two o'clock when she entered the house. She had no idea it was so late, and, smiling,

bade them wait for her adventures until she had satisfied her appetite.

"Adventures! Then you had adventures!" cried Lily. "Here is your chop; we put it down to the fire at once, so it is only tepid; and the potatoes are on the bar. What adventures? I do believe it was Mr Smith!" "And here is your porter," said Carry. "I didn't pour it out, in case you would rather have something else for your headache. If you would, I'll finish the porter myself." "I'll

"Let us ring for another bottle, Carry," said Lily. share it with you, for my back aches with sitting so long at those leaves. They are a great success though, Helen. But now, what adventures? Do begin. You can talk and eat too."

"No, I can't ;" teazing a little was what Helen enjoyed. "But I shall be ready directly. I met somebody, Lily." "I know you did! Mr Smith! Another small bottle, of porter, please "-(to Corker).

"No, nonsense.

Mr

"I do wish you would take more care before the servants," frowned her sister. "Corker must have heard." And what if he did? He may hear times if he likes. Mr Smith! There now, Nelly; if you won't tell me, I'll tell myself. Now you had better begin, or I shall inform him outright. Here he comes."

me say it a hundred Smith! Mr Smith!

She restrained herself, however, whilst the porter was being poured out, and as she had done so, Helen began as soon as they were again alone.

"Well, if you will be quiet, I'll tell you. Yes, it was Mr Smith-(I knew it!) And I have been with him for the last two hours!"

"Oh,

The effect of this announcement was rapture. you dear good creature, then you really are! Oh, what fun! What would Mrs Hunt say? You sly thing, why did you not tell us before? And now for the how, when, and where."

"At the stile, in the short cut. You told me to go and think of him, you know, so it was that which conjured him up." "But what was he doing there?"

"Waiting for me, apparently. At least, it seemed as if he had nothing else to do, for he was at my service directly."

There is no blind like the truth spoken in jest. Lily was taken in at once.

"Well?"

"Then we set off together, but you will never guess where."

"To the house?"

"The house! What can you be thinking of? As if I could have gone to the house!"

66

'Why not? I thought, of course, it was there,” in a disappointed tone. "There is no other particular place to go to. I thought he had been showing you over the house."

"And you thought I would have gone? Lily, you really are too absurd. I told you not to go on so fast, and you go faster and faster. I wonder, instead of thinking I had been to the house, you did not imagine I had been to the church! You seem to expect that to be the next thing.” "It will come to that," said Lily, readily. "But where did you go to, then?"

"To the view."

"The view?"

"Yes. Was that not a particular place?"

"And what did you talk about?" inquired Carry, opening her lips for the first time since Mr Smith's name had been mentioned, but still relenting towards the subject, since it became plain the thing was to be.

"All sorts of things.

ney, drainage, and dirt."

Improvements, cottages, Mr Rod

"You talked of those?" said Lily, incredulously.

"Indeed I did, and talked beautifully; but as they don't suit your carnal mind, perhaps it will please you better to hear that we also talked of Lord Sauffrenden, and of two new lodges, and an approach through the woods."

"Very good; but that is not what I want to hear about, all the same."

"Do you want to hear about the summer-house?" "What summer-house?"

"A summer-house at the view. There, you will like that; and when the summer-house is there, he shall give us some fun at it."

Lily looked at her sister shrewdly. you?"

"Was it to please

"Well, yes, in a way. To please himself, too.

And

the path is to be gravelled, which will be a great improvement. I never saw it so bad as it was to-day."

"And when is it to be done; not till summer, I suppose?"

"It is to be begun to-morrow."

AFTER all this, it was really too delightful when Mrs Hunt bridled and looked mysterious, saying that if it was either, it was Maria.

We have now come up to the point when she paid her afternoon visit at Freelands, and fell a prey to the girls' love of fun and ridicule. Lily only concealed her enjoyment by leaving the room, and even Helen, demurely as she sat at her visitor's feet, was obliged to cast down her eyes.

Mrs Hunt had untied her bonnet strings, and taken off her shawl, and altogether behaved on this visit in a more friendly way than she had ever done before at the Tolletons. She had called the day after their little entertainment, on purpose to let them know that Mr Smith had been there. It was a week after the Tolletons' own dinnerparty, and her third essay to secure him had had the luck usually assigned to that number.

Neither Maria nor Clare were with her; they had gone to the Rectory, but would take the short cut, and join their mother in time to accompany her home. It had been Mrs Hunt's plan. She wished to have the best part of her visit by herself; to be able to throw out pregnant suggestions which might rankle in the Tolletons' bosoms, to plant seeds of doubt and apprehension which must in due time bear the proper fruit of hopeless despair. If Maria had been with her, this might not have been so easy.