ings, of course, and had one or two tumbles, but nothing to hurt them;
only Clover was very thankful when it was all safely over.

In their rides and scrambling walks it generally happened that Clarence
took possession of Clover, and left Geoff in charge of Mrs. Hope.
Cousinship and old friendship gave him a right, he considered, and he
certainly took full advantage of it. Clover liked Clarence; but there were
moments when she felt that she would rather enjoy the chance to talk more
with Mr. Templestowe, and there was a look in his eyes now and then which
seemed to say that he might enjoy it too. But Clarence did not observe
this look, and he had no idea of sharing his favorite cousin with any one,
if he could help it.

Sunday brought the explanation of the shelf full of prayer-books which had
puzzled them on their first arrival. There was no church within reach; and
it was Geoff's regular custom, it seemed, to hold a little service for the
men in the valley. Almost all of them came, except the few Mexicans, who
were Roman Catholics, and the room was quite full. Geoff read the service
well and reverently, gave out the hymns, and played the accompaniments for
them, closing with a brief bit of a sermon by the elder Arnold. It was all
done simply and as a matter of course, and Clarence seemed to join in it
with much good-will; but Clover privately wondered whether the idea of
doing such a thing would have entered into his head had he been left
alone, or, if so, whether he would have cared enough about it to carry it
out regularly. She doubted. Whatever the shortcomings of the Church of
England may be, she certainly trains her children into a devout observance
of Sunday.

The next day, Monday, was to be their last,--a fact lamented by every one,
particularly Phil, who regarded the High Valley as a paradise, and would
gladly have remained there for the rest of his natural life. Clover hated
to take him away; but Dr. Hope had warned her privately that a week would
be enough of it, and that with Phil's tendency to overdo, too long a stay
would be undesirable. So she stood firm, though Clarence urged a delay,
and Phil seconded the proposal with all his might.

The very pleasantest moment of the visit perhaps came on that last
afternoon, when Geoff got her to himself for once, and took her up a
trail where she had not yet been, in search of scarlet pentstemons to
carry back to St. Helen's. They found great sheaves of the slend