e lived, and all these things
were part and parcel of her life.

She was at that time a girl of twenty-one, tall, strong, and supple of
limb, and with a squareness of shoulder proportionate to her height. She
had none of that exaggerated slope which our grandmothers esteemed, yet
she lacked no grace of womanhood on that account, and in her walk she
was light-footed as a deer. Her hair was dark brown, and she wore it
coiled upon the nape of her neck; a bright colour burned in her cheeks,
and her eyes, of a very clear grey, met the eyes of those to whom she
talked with a most engaging frankness. And in character she was the
counterpart of her looks. She was honest; she had a certain simplicity,
the straightforward simplicity of strength which comprises much
gentleness and excludes violence. Of her courage there is a story still
told in Ramelton, which Feversham could never remember without a thrill
of wonder. She had stopped at a door on that steep hill leading down to
the river, and the horse which she was driving took fright at the mere
clatter of a pail and bolted. The reins were lying loose at the moment;
they fell on the ground before Ethne could seize them. She was thus
seated helpless in the dog-cart, and the horse was tearing down to where
the road curves sharply over the bridge. The thing which she did, she
did quite coolly. She climbed over the front of the dog-cart as it
pitched and raced down the hill, and balancing herself along the shafts,
reached the reins at the horse's neck, and brought the horse to a stop
ten yards from the curve. But she had, too, the defects of her
qualities, although Feversham was not yet aware of them.

Ethne during the first part of this drive was almost as silent as her
companion; and when she spoke, it was with an absent air, as though she
had something of more importance in her thoughts. It was not until she
had left the town and was out upon the straight, undulating road to
Letterkenny that she turned quickly to Feversham and uttered it.

"I saw this morning that your regiment was ordered from India to Egypt.
You could have gone with it, had I not come in your way. There would
have been chances of distinction. I have hindered you, and I am very
sorry. Of course, you could not know that there was any possibility of
your regiment going, but I can understand it is very hard for you to be
left behind. I blame myself."

Feversham sat staring in front of him for a moment. Then he s