seworthy counsel
reached Brabazon Lodge in divers small envelopes, addressed to Miss
Crewe, and invariably beginning, "My dearest Dolly;" and more than once
difficulty had been averted, and Dolly's heart warmed again toward her
lover, when she had been half inclined to rebel and exhibit some slight
sharpness of temper. Only a few days after the conversation with which
the present chapter opens occurred, one of these modestly powerful
missives was forwarded, and that evening Griffith met with an agreeable
surprise. Chance had taken him into the vicinity of Miss MacDowlas's
establishment, and as he walked down the deserted road in a somewhat
gloomy frame of mind, he became conscious suddenly of the sound of
small, light feet, running rapidly down the footpath behind him.

"Griffith!" cried a clear, softly pitched voice, "Griffith, wait for
me."

And, turning, he saw in the dusk of the winter day a little figure
almost flying toward him, and in a few seconds more Dolly was standing
by him, laughing and panting, and holding to his arm with both hands.

"I thought I should never catch you," she said. "You never walked so
fast in your life, I believe, you stupid old fellow. I could n't call
out loud, though it is a quiet place, and so I had to begin to run.
Goodness! what _would_ Lady Augusta have said if she had seen me 'flying
after you!"

And then, stopping all at once, she looked up at him with a wicked
little air of saucy daring.

"Don't you want to kiss me?" she said. "You may, if you will endeavor to
effect it with despatch before somebody comes."

She was obliged to resign herself to her fate then. For nearly two
minutes she found herself rendered almost invisible, and neither of them
spoke. Then half released, she lifted her face to look at him, and
there were tears on her eyelashes, and in her voice, too, though she was
trying very hard to smile.

"Poor old fellow," she half whispered. "Has it seemed long since you
kissed me last?"

He caught her to his breast again in his old, impetuous fashion.

"Long!" he groaned. "It has seemed so long that there have been times
when it has almost driven me mad. O Dolly! Dolly!"

She let him crush her in his arms and kiss her again, and she nestled
against his shoulder for a minute, and, putting her warm little gloved
hand up to his face, gave it a tiny, loving squeeze. But of course that
could not last long. Miss Macdowlas's companion might be kissed in the
dusk tw