ng
gentleman in the wood. And what happened?"

"He took Dido's paw out of a trap. He was very kind about it," I
returned, conscious of Miss Bride's severe eye.

"There was no philandering, child, now was there? You're not long out of
short frocks. I can't imagine how the young gentleman came to be in your
woods. You'd better forget all about him, but first tell me what he was
like and all that happened."

"Bride! The poor child!" said Miss Henrietta, compassionately.

"There was no philandering," I said composedly. I am used to Miss
Chenevix's ways. "How could there be? He rendered me such a service as
any gentleman might have done, and went on his way. It was only seeing
that we have so few strangers--"

"He might be staying at Damerstown. They have a houseful."

"I am sure he was not."

"Hoity-toity! how can you know if you know nothing about him? Tell me
again what he was like. I know every one who goes in and out of every
house in the county except Damerstown, and there are too many of them
for me, besides which old Dawson ruined my uncle Hercules. Was he tall?
You say he was tall."

"Tall and slight."

"Regular features?"

"A straight nose; his face clean shaven except for a small dark
moustache; a good deal of colour in his face and great vivacity."

"And his eyes? There, you needn't tell me. I ought to know. The eyes are
grey with dark lashes. You might take them for black. It is Anthony
Cardew to the life."

"Snow-white hair," I added.

"Snow-white hair," Miss Bride repeated. "No, no. It can't be Anthony
Cardew, unless there are white blackbirds. Hair black as jet."

"Perhaps Captain Cardew may have become white, sister," Miss Henrietta
put in humbly.

"White! What would make him white?" Miss Bride asked angrily. "He can't
be forty. I remember him the very day his sister was run away with--"

She pulled herself up suddenly, and turned to me with an air of great
kindness.

"'Tis my tongue is running away with me," she said. "Excuse me, Bawn, my
dear. Your stranger sounds like Anthony Cardew, but I don't see that it
can be he. He was raven-black. Better think no more of him. I wouldn't
waste a thought on any man. I wonder why the Lord made them."

I had stood up to go. I think I had known all the time that my fine
gentleman and Anthony Cardew were one and the same, had understood all
the time why he was so certain that his presence in our woods would be
unwelcome to my grandparents.

"You