pearance was not
that of a gentleman.

On seeing May he started forward and advanced towards her. Making her a
bow as he approached, he said--

"Highly pleased, Miss, to meet you. I have been on the look-out for the
last two hours. I thought you were not coming."

May did not reply, but moved on.

The young buck, however, was not to be daunted.

"Saw you at church last Sunday, and thought you had seen me; but I
suppose you were attending to the parson, or your eyes were on the
prayer-book."

May, wondering who this intruder could be, and beginning to feel
excessively annoyed at his impertinence, walked on as fast as she could.

As he spoke of having seen her at church, she recollected remarking in a
pew at some distance a youth who appeared to be staring at her.

"I fancy you must be under some mistake in addressing me," she said at
last. "I am residing with the Miss Pembertons, and wish to have no
acquaintances unless introduced to me by them."

"No, Miss, I do assure you that I am under no mistake whatever,"
answered the youth, in a tone of assurance. "I have not the honour of
being acquainted with the old ladies, but I have great respect for them
on account of the care they take of you. They are not likely to be
acquainted with a young buck like me, though they cannot object to your
being so, and I would only ask you to give me the favour of seeing you
safe home."

"Thank you, sir, I am very well acquainted with the road and require no
one to accompany me," said Mary, assuming as composed and dignified an
air as she could put on. She, however, unaccustomed to assume any
manner besides her own natural one, did not succeed much to her
satisfaction. Her annoyance was greatly increased when, notwithstanding
her remarks, the youth persevered in walking by her side. She now began
to regret that she had not invited Jacob to accompany her, for she was
very sure that no one would have ventured to have spoken to her thus had
he been her attendant. She instinctively looked round in the hopes that
he might still be following, but she could not see him. She therefore
went on, trusting that her silence would induce the impertinent stranger
to allow her to proceed alone.

"Ah, Miss, though you don't seem to know me I have known you for all
your life nearly. I am young Miles Gaffin, and I remember when you were
a little girl living with old Halliburt and his wife, and I often saw
you when I came home for th