l, Dr. Brunton."

"I'll not detain you," he said. "I go your way, and I'll walk with you:
I have a visit to make near the castle."

"Very well," she said; and they left the lodge.

They had often met in Bell's little room, and they had met at the
castle, but they had never walked together before; and it seemed to the
doctor that this was something closer and nearer than had yet been.

"Do you know," said Lady Louisa, "that I have got my carte taken again?
Papa wished it: my sister Mary is here, and we all three were in town
yesterday getting them done. Had you ever your photograph taken?"

"Yes."

"And was it good?"

"It is like, I believe."

"But not good: that's often the case. Have you got it? I should like to
see it."

"I haven't it with me, if you mean that."

"Oh, it doesn't signify, but I am rather fond, do you know, of
collecting the photos of people I know."

They had been walking up hill, and had now descended a little, and had
come to a seat above a waterfall in the grounds. They did not sit
down--neither proposed that--but they stood a moment at this spot. The
waterfall was an artificial feature in the grounds, and bore about as
great a resemblance to the reality as a glass eye does to the living
orb, or a drawing-room polka to the wild war-dance of a tribe of
savages. The water fell smoothly and peacefully over a smooth ledge of
masonry, then got up quietly and went on its way again, as if slightly
ashamed of its tumble; a wild green bank sloped up toward the seat, but
as the gardener had planned and made it, it was in keeping with the
waterfall: there, however, the primrose showed its richly-embossed
leaves and clusters of pale stars, the first love of the year. How is it
that all first things are so delicate and pure? Overhanging the bank
behind the seat stood what the gardener had not planted, a gigantic
Scotch fir, its arms spread out hither and thither, scarred and
weatherbeaten: if it had clung to a mountain-side over a raging torrent,
it might have seemed the genius of the storm: even as it was, in the
afternoon light of the spring day, it had a haggard, weird effect; but
the pale green spines at the end of every twig, contrasting with the
dark green of a former year, showed that, bare and battered as it
looked, it was strong with the strength of renewed life. On the other
side of the stream was a smooth green haugh; the clouds of the early
part of the day had vanished, and the blue sky