but none of their friends appeared, they
having, as it happened, turned away from the lake in a totally opposite
direction. Julia thought that they might have gone round to the side
she had proposed visiting. She therefore led her companion in that
direction.

Their conversation continued as animated as before. Headland, who had a
real taste for the beauties of nature, admired the views which the lake
exhibited; the wooded islands, the green points, the drooping trees and
weeping willows hanging over the waters, their forms reflected on its
surface; stately swans with arched necks which glided by leading their
troops of cygnets. The only sounds heard were the splash of the fish as
they leaped out of their watery home, the various notes of birds, and
the subdued hum of insects flitting in the sunshine, where here and
there an opening in the foliage allowed it to penetrate into the
otherwise shady walk.

They at length reached the end of the lake; it was the furthest point
almost in the grounds from the house.

Just then the storm which had overtaken Algernon and Harry burst above
Texford. It had come on so suddenly that not till a loud peal of
thunder crashed almost above their heads were they aware of its
approach.

"I fear the rain will come down before we can reach the house, Miss
Castleton," observed Captain Headland. "If there is a boat near at hand
I might row you across the lake, which would both shorten the distance
and save you the fatigue of walking."

"One of the boats is generally kept a little further on, and if you
think we can go faster by water, I shall be much obliged to you."

Before the boat was reached heavy drops of rain began to fall.

"There is a summer-house close at hand overlooking the lake," said
Julia, and led her companion to it.

They had scarcely got under shelter when the rain descended in torrents.

Julia and Captain Headland naturally renewed the interesting
conversation in which they had before been engaged, not aware how time
went by. Every minute the young officer was in Julia's society,
forgetting his previous resolutions, he admired her more and more.

It was so evident that she had unintentionally separated from their
companions that he did not for one moment think her forward or
designing. With her delicate and refined beauty he had been struck from
the first, and was now still more pleased with her animated and
intelligent conversation.

"I wonder Harry did