attended her,
and would suffer the attendance of no one else. A young moon
was shedding a delicious light on the Lollard poplars past
which Wych Hazel had cantered in the morning. It was an hour
to be still an enjoy, and think; but did Mme. Lasalle ever
think? She ceased not to talk. And Wych Hazel, after her day
of caressing and petting and admiration, how was she? She had
caught the first fish; she had been queen of the feast; she
had given the first toast, she had received the first honours
of every eye and ear in the company. Her host and hostess had
lavished all kindness on her; ladies had smiled; and
gentlemen, yes, six gentlemen had come down the steps to put
her into the carriage. But if she wanted to think, Mme.
Lasalle gave her no chance.

'Where shall you go to church on Sunday, my dear?' she asked
on the way.

'Dr. Maryland's, of course, ma'am.'

'O, that's where we all go, of course; delightful creature
that he is. And yet he rebukes every single individual thing
that one does. Dear Dr. Maryland, he's so good, he don't see
what is going in his own family. Do you know, it makes me
unhappy when I think of it. But, my dear, that's the very
thing I wanted to talk to you about,--Miss Powder, you've seen
her, aren't you pleased with her?'

'She was very pleasant to me.'

'She is that to everybody, and her mother is a very fine
woman. Now, my dear, you will be at your pleasure, seeing your
friends at Chickaree--couldn't you contrive to bring Dane and
Annabella together again?'

'I?' said Wych Hazel, surprised. 'Why, I do not know how to
contrive things for myself.'

'O! I do not mean anything complicated--that never does well;
but you could quite naturally, you know, give them
opportunities of seeing each other pleasantly. I think if he
saw her he might come round again and take up his old fancy;
and you being a stranger, you know, might do it without the
least difficulty or gaucherie; they would meet quite on
neutral ground, for nobody would suspect that you were _au fait_
of our country complications. I dare not stir, you see; that
was the reason I could not invite Dane to our fishing to-day.
I knew it wouldn't do. This was my plot for you, that I told
you about--what do you think? It would be doing a kind thing,
and hurting nobody, at any rate.'

It did come to Miss Kennedy's mind that Mr. Rollo was quite
capable of 'contriving' his own situations; but she answered
only, 'Would it, ma'am?'

'