long time! Where have you
picked up this small fry? Are you taking a pilgrimage and doing penance
for your sins with him? If you only could see your face! It makes me
burn to look at you!'

'Don't tease,' I said wearily, as I tried in vain to disengage the little
fellow's arms from round my neck. 'I found him crying amongst the
heather, and he has hurt his foot and cannot walk. Do take him from me,
will you?'

This was not such an easy matter. The child woke up cross, screamed when
Kenneth took him, and with his little fist struck him full in the face
with all his childish strength, crying out,--

'I won't be callied by you; I wants the lady.'

Kenneth tossed him across his shoulder with calm indifference to his
cries.

'I shall have a reckoning with you by-and-by, young man, for this
assault. He is the infant pickle of our village, Miss Thorn--commonly
called Roddy Walters; his mother keeps the small general shop, and Roddy
keeps her pretty lively with his pranks. His last mania has been running
away whenever he gets a chance, and if you intend to carry him home from
wherever you find him, you will have enough to do, I can tell you.'

I made no reply, for I felt quite exhausted, and was greatly relieved to
find that Kenneth knew where to take him.

Presently I was asked,--

'Been having a Bible study on the moor this afternoon?'

'No,' I said quietly, 'I have not.'

'That's a pity, isn't it? You have been out all the afternoon; it's
rather frivolous, isn't it, and a waste of precious time to be sauntering
over the moor doing nothing? A time of meditation, perhaps?'

Yes,' I answered, smiling a little in spite of myself, 'I have been
thinking, as I walked, what lovely country it is round here.'

'We are going to have some grand doings in our neighbourhood soon,'
Kenneth pursued after a few moments' silence; 'the autumn manoeuvres are
coming on, and every one round here keeps open house. We generally start
the ball rolling by a dance. Are you fond of dancing?'

'I used to be fond of it at school,' I said, 'but I--I don't care about
it now.'

I felt he was trying to draw me out, and resolved to say as little as
possible.

'Ah! you wait till you're in the thick of it, and see the scarlet jackets
flying round. All the girls here lose their heads, and their hearts,
too, for the matter of that. I was telling that fellow Stroud to-day
that if he means anything, he had better cut in at once and