ished him at Jericho.

What is more stupid than to have an elderly man dogging one's footsteps?

I trusted devoutly that we should see or hear Tardif before reaching the
knoll; but no such good fortune befell me. Olivia did not hear our
footsteps upon the soft turf, though we approached her very nearly. The
sun shone upon her glossy hair, every thread of which seemed to shine
back again. She was reading aloud, apparently to herself, and the sounds
of her sweet voice were wafted by the air toward us. Captain Carey's
face became very thoughtful.

A few steps nearer brought us in view of Tardif, who had spread his nets
on the grass, and was examining them narrowly for rents. Just at this
moment he was down on his knees, not far from Olivia, gathering some
broken meshes together, but listening to her, with an expression of huge
contentment upon his handsome face. A bitter pang shot through me. Could
it be true by any possibility--that lie I had heard the last time I was
in Sark?

"Good-day, Tardif," shouted Captain Carey; and both Tardif and Olivia
started. But both of their faces grew brighter at seeing us, and both
sprang up to give us welcome. Olivia's color had come back to her
cheeks, and a sweeter face no man ever looked upon.

"I am very glad you are come once more," she said, putting her hand in
mine; "you told me in your last letter you were going to England, and
might not come over to Sark before next autumn. How glad I am to see you
again!"

I glanced from the corner of my eye at Captain Carey. He looked very
grave, but his eyes could not rest upon Olivia without admiring her, as
she stood before us, bright-faced, slender, erect, with the heavy folds
of her coarse dress falling about her as gracefully as if they were of
the richest material.

"This is my friend, Captain Carey, Miss Olivia," I said, "in whose yacht
I have come over to visit you."

"I am very glad to see any friend of Dr. Martin's," she answered, as she
hold out her hand to him with a smile; "my doctor and I are great
friends, Captain Carey."

"So I suppose," he said, significantly--or at least his tone and look
seemed fraught with significance to me.

"We were talking of you only a few minutes ago, Dr. Martin," she
continued; "I was telling Tardif how you sang the 'Three Fishers' to me
the last time you were here, and how it rings in my ears still,
especially when he is away fishing. I repeated the three last lines to
him:

'Fo