oking closely, she saw to
her horror it was Alan.

"Oh!" she said, in an indescribable tone.

Her heart gave one frightened, shamed bound, and then seemed
to stop beating altogether.

She looked up, at him as if entreating him not to have too bad an
opinion of her; but his face wore the contemptuous look she had
grown to dread and his lips were finely curled.

"I--I only came out for a little walk; it is such a beautiful
evening," she said, with miserable lameness; and then in a tone
of justification she added, "it's my father's paddock, too."

He leaned back against he fence and looked down at her.

"Flossie gave me your note, and as it seemed addressed to me, and
I was told it was for me; I opened it," he said.

"You KNEW it was for Andrew," she said not looking at him, however.

"So I presumed when I had read it," he returned slowly; "but
Andrew has not come back to-night yet, so I came instead; it's all
the same as long as it's a boy, isn't it?"

The girl made no reply, only put her hand up and drew the cloud
more closely round her head.

His lips curled a little more.

"And I know how to kiss, too, I assure you. I am quite a good hand
at it, though you may not think so. Oh yes, I know you said you
did not want to be kissed; but then, girls always say that, don't
they?--even when they expect it most."

Still Meg did not speak, and the calm, merciless voice went on.

"I am afraid it is hardly dark enough for you, is it? The moon
is very much in the way, do you not think so? Still, perhaps we
can find a darker place farther on, and then I can kiss you without
danger. What is the matter?--are you always as quiet as this with
Andrew?"

"Oh, DON'T!" said Meg, in a choking voice.

The mocking tone died instantly out of his voice, "Miss Meg, you
used to seem such a nice little girl," he said quietly; "what
have you let that horrid MacCarthy girl spoil you for? For she is
horrid, though you may not think so."

Meg did not speak or move, and he went on with a gentle earnestness
that she had not thought him capable of..

"I have watched her on the boat, systematically going to work to
spoil you, and can't help thinking of the pity of it. I imagined
how I should feel if my little sister Flossie ever fell in with
such a girl, and began to flirt and make herself conspicuous,
and I wondered would you mind if I spoke to you about it.
Are you very angry with me, Miss Meg?"

But Meg leaned her head ag