own. Well?'

The last word had been given tenderly, with a long-drawn sweetness, and
was caused by a look that Christopher was bending upon her at the moment,
in which he revealed that he was thinking less of the subject she was so
eagerly and hopefully descanting upon than upon her aspect in explaining
it. It is a fault of manner particularly common among men newly imported
into the society of bright and beautiful women; and we will hope that,
springing as it does from no unworthy source, it is as soon forgiven in
the general world as it was here.

'I was only following a thought,' said Christopher:--'a thought of how I
used to know you, and then lost sight of you, and then discovered you
famous, and how we are here under these sad autumn trees, and nobody in
sight.'

'I think it must be tea-time,' she said suddenly. 'Tea is a great meal
with us here--you will join us, will you not?' And Ethelberta began to
make for herself a passage through the boughs. Another rustle was heard
a little way off, and one of the children appeared.

'Emmeline wants to know, please, if the gentleman that come to see 'ee
will stay to tea; because, if so, she's agoing to put in another spoonful
for him and a bit of best green.'

'O Georgina--how candid! Yes, put in some best green.'

Before Christopher could say any more to her, they were emerging by the
corner of the cottage, and one of the brothers drew near them. 'Mr.
Julian, you'll bide and have a cup of tea wi' us?' he inquired of
Christopher. 'An old friend of yours, is he not, Mrs. Petherwin? Dan
and I be going back to Sandbourne to-night, and we can walk with 'ee as
far as the station.'

'I shall be delighted,' said Christopher; and they all entered the
cottage. The evening had grown clearer by this time; the sun was peeping
out just previous to departure, and sent gold wires of light across the
glades and into the windows, throwing a pattern of the diamond quarries,
and outlines of the geraniums in pots, against the opposite wall. One
end of the room was polygonal, such a shape being dictated by the
exterior design; in this part the windows were placed, as at the east end
of continental churches. Thus, from the combined effects of the
ecclesiastical lancet lights and the apsidal shape of the room, it
occurred to Christopher that the sisters were all a delightful set of
pretty saints, exhibiting themselves in a lady chapel, and backed up by
unkempt major prophets