a vacant seat under
that acacia, and you will hear the music quite well. There, let me take
you to it; the afternoon is unusually warm, in spite of the river
breeze." Rather to his surprise, she bent her head in assent, in her
queenly way, and he guided her to the cool retreat.

"Will you not sit down too?" she asked in rather a hesitating manner,
but there was no coquetry in her glance. Malcolm shook his head.

"I must look out for Dysart and the other man," he observed, "or they
will think I have spirited you away. I am not the least tired. What a
pretty scene it is, Miss Jacobi! Look at those children dancing under
the elm trees."

"They seem very happy," was her reply; but there was a sad expression
in her eyes. "Certainly childhood is the happiest time in one's life.
If it could only last for ever!"

"Are you sure you mean what you say?" replied Malcolm in a grave,
argumentative tone. "Remember it is the age of ignorance as well as
innocence; with knowledge comes responsibility and the pains and
penalties of life, nevertheless few of us desire to remain children."

"I am one of the few," she returned curtly.

"I cannot believe that," and Malcolm smiled; "but I grant you that the
best and highest natures have some-thing of the child in them. As
Mencius says, 'The great man is he who does not lose his child's
heart.'"

Miss Jacobi looked impressed.

"That is well said," she replied softly. "Mr. Herrick, I think your
friend Mr. Templeton is rather like that: he is so young and fresh, it
is delightful to listen to him. He is two-and-twenty, is he not? and he
is such a boy." She laughed an odd, constrained little laugh as she
said this, and added in a curious undertone, "And I am only
nine-and-twenty, and I feel as though I were seventy. See what
responsibilities and the pains and penalties of life do for a woman!"

It was a strange speech, and a strange flash of the eye accompanied it;
then her tone and manner suddenly changed, as a footstep in their
vicinity reached her ear.

"Saul, were you looking for me?" she said, starting from her seat. "I
was tired, so Mr. Herrick found me this nice shady place. I suppose it
is time for us to go."

"Well, we have a dinner-party on to-night," returned her brother
blandly, "and it will hardly do for the hostess to be late. Wait a
moment, Leah," as she was about to take leave of Malcolm, "I found
Dysart hunting for your fan, so I told him I had it. It cost ten
guine