r rock, he gravely delivered them into her hands, and
took a seat beside her, fanning himself with his hat.

"And now, how does it happen that you are here?" repeated Anne, placing
her possessions in different niches.

"You insist? Why not let it pass for chance? No? Well, then, by
horseback to Powell's: horse loses shoe; blacksmith's shop. Blacksmith
talkative; second customer that morning; old coupe, fat old coachman,
and fat brown horse, who also loses shoe. Coachman talkative; tells all
about it; blacksmith tells _me_; young lady left at saw-mill to be taken
up on return. I, being acquainted with said saw-mill and young lady,
come across by lane through the fields. Find a dinner basket; look in;
conclude to bring it on. Find a small tin coffin, and bring that too.
Find a hat, ditto. Hat contains--"

"Never mind," said Anne, laughing. "But where is your horse?"

"Tied to a tree."

"And what are you going to do?"

"At present, nothing. By-and-by, if you will permit it, I _may_--smoke a
cigar."

"I have no idea what time it is," said Anne, after a pause, while
Heathcote, finding a comfortable place with his back against the rocks,
seemed disposed to enjoy one of his seasons of silence.

He drew out his watch, and without looking at it held it toward her.
"You need not tell; _I_ do not want to know," he said.

"In spite of that, I feel it to be my duty to announce that it is nearly
half past twelve; you may still reach home in time for lunch."

"Thanks. I know what I shall have for lunch."

"What?"

"One small biscuit, three slices of cake, one long corpulent pickle, and
an apple."

"You have left nothing for me," said Anne, laughing over this disclosure
of the contents of her basket.

"On the contrary, I have brought you something," said Heathcote, gravely
producing two potatoes uncooked, a pinch of salt in paper, and a quarter
of a loaf of bread, from the pockets of his blue flannel coat.

Anne burst into a peal of laughter, and the last shadow of timidity
vanished. Heathcote seemed for the moment as young as Rast himself.

"Where have you been foraging?" she said.

"Foraging? I beg your pardon; nothing of the kind. I bought these
supplies regularly from a farmer's wife, and paid for them in the coin
of the land. I remarked to her that I should be out all day, and hated
hunger; it was so sanguinary."

"But you will not be out all day."

"Until eight minutes of six, precisely; that is the time I