ation behind the woods;
then he came up on the verandah and going round the table sat
down beside Wych Hazel. Primrose saw--did the other?--the easy
motion which was universal with him, the fine figure, the
frank, bright face. Primrose did not mean to watch, but she
saw it all, and the look with which he sat down. It was not
that of a man about to make an apology, neither had it any
smile of attempted ingratiation. It was rather a sweet,
confidential look of inquiry, which, however, went down
through the depths of the brown eyes he was looking into, and
rifled them of all their secrets. It was a sort of look before
which a woman's eyes fall.

'Reo is not seriously hurt,' he said softly, when this point
had been reached.

She bowed her head. 'So Dr. Maryland brought word. At last the
_hope_.'

'He is only a good deal bruised. No bones broken, nor any
other harm done. It might have been worse; and so the
messenger who first came did not alarm us for nothing. One of
the woodcutters had felled a large tree without giving due
warning, or Reo had not heeded the warning; he was caught
under the tree. But he escaped very well. He is at his own
house, where he will have to keep his bed some days, I fancy.'

Another mute gesture. Perhaps the girl was not sure of herself
after all the morning's work, and had no mind to risk another
admonition about self-control.

'I am very glad,' she said gravely, after a minute.

'I am very glad. Mr. Falkirk has sprained his ankle,' he went
on a little lower.

'Mr. Falkirk!'--

Hazel sprang up,--then as instantly sat down again. There
should be no more strength used about her that day!

'Helping Reo?' she said.

'Not directly. He made a misstep, I think, among the confusion
of branches cut and uncut with which the ground was
encumbered; slipped off one of them, perhaps; somehow gave his
foot a twist,--and there he is. That was the cause of my long
delay.' He spoke, watching the little lady all the while.

'Why did he not come here?--it was nearer,' she said with some
accent of impatience.

'No,'--very gently--'we were nearer his cottage. I proposed
bringing him,--where I was sure you would wish for him,--here,
at once; but Mr. Falkirk laid his commands on me and on all
concerned so absolutely that there was no choice. We carried
him to his cottage; for he could not walk.'

'Just like Mr. Falkirk!'--then the impatience died away in a
soft tone of pity. 'Not able to walk!'--