eremptory
order for breakfast; but as that refreshment was somewhat
delayed, the young lady in an impatient fit of time-saving
began to change her dress, and fainted away charmingly during
the process. At which moment the maid and breakfast entered
the room, and the former promptly set down her tray, and ran
off to summon the only doctor then at the Mountain House.

Little did Dr. Maryland guess the meaning of those mysterious
words--'a lady wants you!' Still less, what lady. And as by the
time he reached the room, Miss Hazel opened her eyes for his
express benefit, the doctor stopped short in the middle of the
room, his ideas more unsettled than ever. But Mr. Falkirk, who
had accompanied the doctor, though not expecting to find their
paths all the way identical, pressed forward with a face of
great concern.

'Miss Hazel!--is it you? What is the matter?'

'Do I look like somebody else, sir?'

Like nobody else! thought Dr. Maryland; while, learning the
whole of Mrs. Saddler's explanations from the first five
words, he went on to apply such remedies as were strongest and
nearest at hand. In a medical point of view it was not perhaps
needful that he should hold the coffee-cup himself all the
time, but if this were not really his 'first case,' it bid
fair to be so marked in his memory. Perhaps he forgot the
coffee-cup, till Mr. Falkirk gently relieved him of it with a
word of dismission, and the doctor modestly withdrew; then
sending Mrs. Saddler for some bottled ale, Mr. Falkirk went
on, 'Wych, where have you been?'

'Following the steps of my great predecessor, King Alfred,
sir.'

'In what line?'

'Retiring from the enemy, sir, and being obliged to meet the
Dane'--said Miss Hazel, innocently closing her eyes.

'Where?' said Mr. Falkirk, shortly.

'I don't know, sir. In some of the wild places favoured by
such outlaws. Don't you know, he has just come over the sea?'

There was a pause of some seconds.

'Wych,' said her guardian kindly, 'do you know it is not nice
for little girls to make themselves so conspicuous as your
morning walk has made you to-day?'

Some feeling of her own brought the blood to her cheek and
brow, vividly.

'I don't know what you call conspicuous, sir; only one person
found me. And if you think I lost myself in the fog on
purpose, Mr. Falkirk, you think me a much smaller girl than I
am!'

Mr. Falkirk smiled--a little, passing his hand very lightly
over the brow which did look