than a sketch, and instead of finishing the latter,
proceeded on his way.

He entered the old overgrown drive which wound indirectly through the
wood to Markton. The road, having been laid out for idling rather than
for progress, bent sharply hither and thither among the fissured
trunks and layers of horny leaves which lay there all the year round,
interspersed with cushions of vivid green moss that formed oases in the
rust-red expanse.

Reaching a point where the road made one of its bends between two large
beeches, a man and woman revealed themselves at a few yards' distance,
walking slowly towards him. In the short and quaint lady he recognized
Charlotte De Stancy, whom he remembered not to have seen for several
days.

She slightly blushed and said, 'O, this is pleasant, Mr. Somerset!
Let me present my brother to you, Captain De Stancy of the Royal Horse
Artillery.'

Her brother came forward and shook hands heartily with Somerset; and
they all three rambled on together, talking of the season, the place,
the fishing, the shooting, and whatever else came uppermost in their
minds.

Captain De Stancy was a personage who would have been called interesting
by women well out of their teens. He was ripe, without having declined
a digit towards fogeyism. He was sufficiently old and experienced to
suggest a goodly accumulation of touching amourettes in the chambers of
his memory, and not too old for the possibility of increasing the store.
He was apparently about eight-and-thirty, less tall than his father
had been, but admirably made; and his every movement exhibited a fine
combination of strength and flexibility of limb. His face was somewhat
thin and thoughtful, its complexion being naturally pale, though
darkened by exposure to a warmer sun than ours. His features were
somewhat striking; his moustache and hair raven black; and his eyes,
denied the attributes of military keenness by reason of the largeness
and darkness of their aspect, acquired thereby a softness of expression
that was in part womanly. His mouth as far as it could be seen
reproduced this characteristic, which might have been called weakness,
or goodness, according to the mental attitude of the observer. It was
large but well formed, and showed an unimpaired line of teeth within.
His dress at present was a heather-coloured rural suit, cut close to his
figure.

'You knew my cousin, Jack Ravensbury?' he said to Somerset, as they went
on. 'Poor Jack: h