excellent sort whose personal knowledge of each other's history and
character is always in excess of intimacy, whereby they are not so likely
to be severed by a clash of sentiment as in cases where intimacy springs
up in excess of knowledge. Lucy was never visible at these times, being
either engaged in the school-room, or in taking an airing out of doors;
but, knowing that she was now comfortable, and had given up the, to him,
depressing idea of going off to the other side of the globe, he was quite
content.

The new house had so far progressed that the gardeners were beginning to
grass down the front. During an afternoon which he was passing in
marking the curve for the carriage-drive, he beheld her coming in boldly
towards him from the road. Hitherto Barnet had only caught her on the
premises by stealth; and this advance seemed to show that at last her
reserve had broken down.

A smile gained strength upon her face as she approached, and it was quite
radiant when she came up, and said, without a trace of embarrassment, 'I
find I owe you a hundred thanks--and it comes to me quite as a surprise!
It was through your kindness that I was engaged by Mr. Downe. Believe
me, Mr. Barnet, I did not know it until yesterday, or I should have
thanked you long and long ago!'

'I had offended you--just a trifle--at the time, I think?' said Barnet,
smiling, 'and it was best that you should not know.'

'Yes, yes,' she returned hastily. 'Don't allude to that; it is past and
over, and we will let it be. The house is finished almost, is it not?
How beautiful it will look when the evergreens are grown! Do you call
the style Palladian, Mr. Barnet?'

'I--really don't quite know what it is. Yes, it must be Palladian,
certainly. But I'll ask Jones, the architect; for, to tell the truth, I
had not thought much about the style: I had nothing to do with choosing
it, I am sorry to say.'

She would not let him harp on this gloomy refrain, and talked on bright
matters till she said, producing a small roll of paper which he had
noticed in her hand all the while, 'Mr. Downe wished me to bring you this
revised drawing of the late Mrs. Downe's tomb, which the architect has
just sent him. He would like you to look it over.'

The children came up with their hoops, and she went off with them down
the harbour-road as usual. Barnet had been glad to get those words of
thanks; he had been thinking for many months that he would like her to