woodland whenever she went out; with carriages
and horsemen always at the door when she was at home. The
serenades indeed were shared impartially with Mr. Falkirk and
Gotham; for Wych Hazel still kept her room in the cottage, and
was there by night. But the days were often spent in the house
on the hill; and the distance between the two was often--to say
the least--not made alone. The new saddle-horses had not yet
arrived, and no others were countenanced by Mr. Falkirk; but
such walks had their facilities, even without the possible
indoor extensions which sometimes took place. And for evening
purposes an equipage had been arranged which relieved Miss
Kennedy of all dependence on her neighbours. Mr. Falkirk's
prostrate condition prevented her giving any entertainments as
yet; but she went everywhere, with Gotham--grim and trusty--upon
the box; and more and more the days, as they went on, brought
everybody to her feet. It was excellent fun! For it is really
delightful to be liked; and admiring looks you cannot quite
meet have yet their fascination, and the words you scarce hear
have their charm. Altogether there was a strong flavour of
enchantment abroad; and it seemed probable that the prince was
somewhere. The princess had not seen him yet, that she knew
of; but undoubtedly she was learning that some day she might.
Yet Hazel took the knowledge in a pretty way. Too innately
true to flirt, too warm-hearted to trifle, too real a woman to
follow in the steps of Kitty Fisher; and, it may be said,
thinking far too much of herself to descend from her vantage
ground of feminine reserve. Perhaps there was no one thing
which caught and _held_ her admirers like this: the real girlish
dignity which made them keep their proper distance. The most
unscrupulous of them all would as soon have dared anything as
to venture (to her) an unauthorized touch, or a word that
savoured of freedom. So far, she went safe through the fire.
If she could have known, poor child, what sort of a fire it
was; if her thoughts had even dimly imagined what men old in
the world may be; no kid glove nor silken tissue would have
been deemed thick enough to fend off the contact. But she knew
nothing of all that, except by the instinct which now and then
gave her a sudden sheer. As it was, she was intensely amused,
and half out of her wits with fun and frolic and utter light
heartedness; seeing no harm, imagining no evil; quite
regardless of Mrs. Bywank's wis