appointing. Two hundred years have effectually
destroyed all distinctive traits, and they might have been sheep-folds
or pig-sties, or any other innocent agricultural erection for aught
that we could tell. "Not a single house stood there but was the home of
murder," says their historian. The suns and rains of two hundred and
odd years have effectually washed out their blood-stains, and there is
nothing left there but peace.

Some way beyond the ruins stands a small stone cottage of the most
modern order. We found it to be the abode of a shepherd, away with his
flock on the hills, but his wife, no shepherdess of the Dresden china
order, but a hearty and substantial dame, gave us a cordial welcome. She
was in a state of intense delight at our disappointment about the ruins,
and discussed the situation in that soft Somersetshire accent that gives
such breadth and jollity to the language. "E'll not vind it a beet loike
ta buik," she said, with her cheery laugh. "Buik's weel mad' up; it
houlds 'ee loike, and 'ee can't put it by, but there's nobbut three
pairts o't truth. Hunnerds cooms up here to se't," she added, with a
chuckle.

The fact is that the traditional and the ideal are as inextricably mixed
in this charming story of "Lorna Doone" as the thousand varieties of
seeds in the fairy tale which the princess was expected to sort out, and
it would be almost as difficult to separate them. Perhaps the best way,
after all, is--not to try.

Katharine Hillard.

[Illustration: map]

CONTENTS:

I. ELEMENTS OF EDUCATION

II. AN IMPORTANT ITEM

III. THE WARPATH OF THE DOONES

IV. A VERY RASH VISIT

V. AN ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT

VI. NECESSARY PRACTICE

VII. HARD IT IS TO CLIMB

VIII. A BOY AND A GIRL

IX. THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME

X. A BRAVE RESCUE AND A ROUGH RIDE

XI. TOM DESERVES HIS SUPPER

XII. A MAN JUSTLY POPULAR

XIII. MASTER HUCKABACK COMES IN

XIV. A MOTION WHICH ENDS IN A MULL

XV. QUO WARRANTO?

XVI. LORNA GROWS FORMIDABLE

XVII. JOHN IS BEWITCHED

XVIII. WITCHERY LEADS TO WITCHCRAFT

XIX. ANOTHER DANGEROUS INTERVIEW

XX. LORNA BEGINS HER STORY

XXI. LORNA ENDS HER STORY

XXII. A LONG SPRING MONTH

XXIII. A ROYAL INVITATION

XXIV. A SAFE PASS FOR KING'S MESSENG