audy box in his hand.

"Morva!" he called, and under the elder tree, where she was counting
the chickens at roost on its branches, the girl stood facing him, the
rising moon shining full upon her. "Morva, lass," he said, drawing
near; "'tis the present I told thee of. Wilt have it?" and there was a
diffident tremor in his voice, which was not its usual tone; for
to-night he was as shy as a schoolboy as he opened the box and drew out
the shining necklace. The iridescent colours gleamed in the moonlight
and Morva exclaimed in admiration:

"Oh, anwl! is that for me?"

"Yes, for thee, lass; for who else?" said Gethin. "Let me fasten it on
for thee. 'Tis a tiresome clasp," and as she bent her shapely neck and
his fingers touched it for a moment, she gently drew further away.

"Dost like them?" said Gethin, looking from the shining shells to the
glowing face above them.

"Oh, they are beautiful!" she answered, feeling them with her fingers.
"I will go in and show them to Ann. I haven't said 'thank you,' but I
do thank thee indeed, Gethin;" and he followed her into the "hall,"
where the glowing light from the fire and the candle fell on the
changing glitter of the shells.

"Oh, there's beautiful!" said Ann. "Come near, Morva, and let me look
at them. Well, indeed, they are fit for a lady."

"Thee must have paid a lot for that," said Ebben Owens, rather
reproachfully.

"Not much indeed, father, but I wasn't going to forget my little
playfellow, whatever."

"No, no, my boy, that was quite right," said the old man; and Will too
tried to smile and admire, but there was a flush of vexation on his
face which did not escape Morva's notice.

"I must go now," she said, a little shadow falling over her.

"Let me loosen the clasp for thee," said Gethin; but Morva, remembering
the touch of the brown fingers, quickly reached the door.

"No--no, I must show them to mother."

"Hast thanked Gethin, lass?" said the old man.

"Not much, indeed," she answered, turning back at the door, "but I
thank thee, Gethin, for remembering me," and, half-playfully and
half-seriously, she made him a little bob curtsey.

Arrived in the cottage she drew eagerly into the gleam of the candle.

"Mother, mother, look! see what Gethin has brought me. Oh! look at
them, mother; row under row of glittering shells from some far-off
beach. Look at them, mother; green--blue--purple with a silver sheen
over them, too. I never thought there w